Solstice
by DecoNoir
Summary: Six year old Anna gets lost in the woods, and is rescued by a mysterious Elvenking. What happens when she meets him again twenty years later? AU Warning. Rated M for a reason... Thranduil/OC
1. 1998

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything by Tolkien. I'm just writing this for fun, and I'm not making any money.**

 **June 21 1998**

The Young girl sat down in the soft green moss. She was exhausted, hungry and tears were streaming down her chubby, pink cheeks. Around her the forest was hot and quiet. Rays of bright sunlight fell on the forest floor, here and there through gaps in the thick canopy of green leaves. The oak trees here were old and huge with thick winding branches.

The girl sniffled. It felt like she had walked for hours. Mom and dad had told her not to walk into the woods alone..They would be so angry with her. She had seen a cute fluffy rabbit that she just wanted to hug. She had to follow it. The rabbit didn't want her hugs though, and soon she had no idea where she was. Lost in the woods. Would she ever see mom or dad again?

Suddenly she heard a deep, melodic voice behind her:

"Are you lost Little One?"

She turned around and faced the strangest man she had ever seen in her short six year old Life. He was huge with very long, pale blond hair and thick, dark eyebrows. He had the face of an angel, or at least what she imagined an angel would look like. It was almost like he was glowing faintly. The man was dressed in strange clothes and on his head, he had a crown of branches decorated with wildflowers. She just stared at him and suddenly her tears stopped running.

"I asked you if you are lost." The man said sternly and his ice blue eyes stared straight into hers.

The only thing the girl could do was to nod. He got down on his knees and smiled. He seemed odd, but kind. And perhaps lonely and a bit sad. She didn't know why she thought that, but somehow she could see it in his eyes.

"What is your name?"

"Anna, I'm six years old. Who are you?"

"I am the Guardian of these woods. I am an elf."

She looked at him up and down, and it was then that she saw his ears were pointed, and not round as her own.

"Are you a king?" She pointed at the crown.

"I was once a king. This land was my kingdom long ago. Now, Anna, let's get you home. Your parents are probably very worried."

Anna nodded and the king put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. From among the trees, a huge moose silently made it's way to the Elvenking and the child. On the animal's back was a brown saddle with shiny golden ornaments. The elf smiled assuringly, as a sign that Anna had no reason to be afraid of the creature. The little girl could still only stare at the huge animal in awe.

"He is quite a gentle creature. You can give him this if you want to." The elf handed Anna a bright red apple.

"Thank you." She said politely, just as her parents had told her to. She slowly reached out her hand until the animal slowly captured the apple with its mouth. Tentatively, she touched its soft nose.

"Can you tell me where you live, Anna?"

"We are staying at my aunt's cottage. It is small and white, at the edge of the forest, near a small lake."

The Elvenking nodded. And suddenly he lifted Anna up in the air and placed her in the saddle. The girl was shocked at first, her small hands grabbing the saddle hard.

"No need to worry, Little one. As I said, he is a gentle elk. Just hold on to the saddle, and he will carry you home safely. You are too tired to walk, aren't you?"

Anna nodded. The elf took the reigns in his hands and started leading the animal through the woods. The afternoon was slowly turning to evening and the shadows were turning longer. The birds were singing happily and flying close to Anna and the Elvenking. They seemed to like him. One even landed on the elk's enormous antlers and looked at her with its curious, small black eyes.

"Do you have kids?" She suddenly asked the elf, without really knowing why.

"I had a son once. But he left a long, long time ago."

Anna nodded, and again she thought he looked sad and very, very old.

"Are you lonely?"

He chuckled.

"I suppose I am. I do not talk to people very often."

Soon enough, they reached the tree line, and Anna could see the small house and the old fashioned garden with the fruit trees in the field below them. The elk reached down to chew on some grass, and the Elvenking lifted her down from the saddle. In the distance she could hear her father calling her name. He sounded really upset. The elf looked down at her and said:

"I think it is time for us to part ways, Anna. Go to your father, he is worried about you."

Anna nodded. She patted the elk on the head before asking:

"Will I ever see you again?"

The Elvenking laughed, and his laughter was just as soft, low and melodic as his voice.

"Who knows, what the future might bring, Little one."

Anna smiled, and then she waved goodbye, and ran down the slope to the cottage. Half way there her dad saw her coming. He ran towards her, and caught her in his arms.

"Anna! Thank God you are alright! Mom and I have been so worried, she even called the police."

"I got lost in the Woods, but the Elvenking helped me get get back. Look, he is still standing there among the trees."

Her father looked suspicious. He looked at the treeline and shook his head. There was no one there anymore. No trace of either the elf or the elk.

"Well, there is no one there, sweetheart. But it is good to have you home. Was the man nice to you?" Her dad looked worried now.

"Yes, he was very nice, daddy. He helped me get home, I was so scared in the Woods."

Her dad shook his head in disbelief, but smiled.

"Let's go home to Mom now. Then you can tell us all about the Elvenking. Ok?

Anna nodded happily and took her father's hand.


	2. A new life

**Twenty years later:**

Anna stood on the porch surrounded by two bags and a suitcase. Everything else she owned was either in storage or in boxes in her parent's garage. She sighed and fumbled with the old lock. She was afraid she would break the key, but suddenly the door clicked open and Anna stepped inside. The cottage looked just as she remembered it from her childhood. The air was a bit stale, since no one had been there for a long time, but she solved the problem by opening up a few windows before she unpacked and made the bed in the larger of the bedrooms.

She was happy her aunt had let her borrow her cottage for a few days. The last month she had spent sleeping on her friend's couches or staying at her parent's house. She felt rather clueless at the moment and she needed a bit of time on her own to think. A month ago, she had walked in on her fiance Fred having sex with one of his co-workers from the hospital. The memory still made her feel slightly nauseous. She cringed. Apparently the "relationship" had been going on for a while behind her back. She had been stupid enough to believe his lies and excuses for always working late. Honestly, she probably just didn't want to see the truth. Maybe she was afraid to be alone, but now she was, and besides the heartache it wasn't nearly as bad as she had imagined. Better alone than with a cheating man, she figured.

Anna went to the kitchen and made a few cups of coffee for herself, enough to last her all day. Then she unpacked her art supplies and her computer and started working on her current project, her next children's book, written and illustrated by herself. Working was probably the best distraction at the moment and since her first book had been such a success she was more than motivated to make this one just as good. The problem was that this time she had to come up with everything herself.

The first book called The Elvenking was, more or less, a retelling of the strange experience she had as a child. Or more like, thought she had. She must have imagined it somehow, but it had felt so incredibly real. It had taken her years before she had stopped thinking about the strange man that had helped her get back home when she was lost in the woods behind this very cottage. To be honest, she had never really stopped thinking about that day. She had learned to keep quiet or pretended she had made the whole thing up just so that people wouldn't think her crazy.

She sipped her coffee and made a few sketches of fairies and trolls. She was going that route this time. It looked allright, but she was yet to come up with a really good story. Perhaps that was why she had to come here? To get some inspiration from walking around in the Woods? The woodland around her aunt's cottage was truly as close as one could get to magical, if there was even such a thing. The trees were ancient and beautiful and many rare flowers and herbs grew in the forest. If there was a place where trolls fairies and elves dwelled, this would be it.

She sighed and decided to take a break for dinner. Making dinner for only one person was far from inspiring, and she settled for a sandwich and a banana. It was part of the sad reality she had lived in the last month. Sandwiches, take away and salads. She ate her dinner at a wooden table in the garden. It was brittle with age and looked like it would crack under too much weight at any given time. She brought another big cup of coffee out with her and she relaxed in the summer sun for a while, watching bees and butterflies among the flowers in the overgrown garden. Her aunt had told her she barely had time to care for the garden, but Anna found the wild and untamed state of the flower beds beautiful in it's own way.

She tried to sketch some more, but the inspiration was suddenly gone, and she was feeling hot and sweaty in the afternoon sun. She decided to take a walk to the lake and have a swim to cool her down. She grabbed a towel and her phone, but before she was on her way the phone started vibrating and her brother's name appeared on the screen. She sighed. She could probably walk and talk at the same time. The hike to the lake was fairly long, and talking would make it seem shorter.

"Yes." She answered.

"How's life Anna?" Christian, sounded like he was in a good mood and she could hear a plethora of voices in the backgrond as well as music.

"It's ok, I guess. I'm at aunt May's cottage. She let me borrow it for a few days. It's nice to be alone. What are you up to?"

"After Work. That's what I'm up to. I'm on my second GT. We're at this sick new place in the harbour. You should come here with me and my friends when you get back. Plenty of single guys for you. Something to distract you from that asshole."

Anna laughed, but the laughter came out slightly bitter.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've had enough of men for the unforeseeable future."

"Sorry. I just tried to cheer you up a bit." Christian sounded sorry. Her brother was sweet and he meant well, but sometimes he was a bit crude.

"No problem. I get it."

"Just wanted to ask how you were doing. Can't be that fun to be alone in the middle of the woods."

"Nah, I like it. Suits my mood, I guess."

"Good. Maybe you'll bump into that Elvenking of yours. Ha-ha." Christian had always teased her relentlessly for her stories about her encounter with the elf and she no longer took offense. It had become an inside joke of sorts. Anna laughed, this time happily.

"Well, at least I made some money from what my imagination cooked up for me."

"Very true. Hey, I gotta go, but take care. I'll call you again tomorrow."

When the phone call ended Anna was about half way to the lake. The narrow path was slightly more overgrown now than she remembered it being ten years ago when she was there the last time. Still the rest looked the same. Big, huge oak trees with thick branches covered with moss and lichen, everything lush and green. Her nose was filled with an earthy smell mixed with a faint scent of flowers. She took a deep breath, and for the first time in a month she felt somewhat relaxed.

It was not long before she reached the tiny lake. In reality, calling it a lake was too generous, it was more like a pond in the middle of the forest. The water was calm and very clear and had a turquoise green color. Her aunt had told her that it was actually a spring and that the water came from deep underground. Even now in the middle of summer the water was cool when she dipped her hand into it. Just what she needed.

She let her shorts fall to the ground and tossed her top next to them. Her underwear followed shortly after. At a place like this there was no need for a bathing suit. She took a long look at her naked reflection in the calm water. Her long dark brown hair partly covered her rather large breasts. At the moment she felt quite unattractive. The girl Fred cheated with, and was dating now, was her polar opposite. They only shared the same blue eye color. She was a skinny, sporty blonde with a permanent tan. Anna was not. Her hips and thighs were rather wide, but her waist small and stomach still flat. She was not exactly fat, yet Fred always wanted her to lose weight. Well, she guessed he finally got what he wanted. She shook her head and lowered herself into the water.

It was freezing cold, just as she remembered it from when she was a child. She didn't swim for long, and after wetting her hair, she climbed back up and spread her beach towel on the only sunny patch next to the pond and stretched out. She let the sun dry her body for a while and the pleasant sting of the cold water slowly disappeared. She sighed in delight.

After a while she forced herself to get up. She got dressed slowly and tried to tame her hair with her fingers. She gave up after a while, it had to wait until she was back in the bathroom in the house with a hairbrush. She rolled the towel, picked up her phone and walked back to the cottage the same way she came. She would be back tomorrow. A small smile played on her lips.

* * *

Anna went to bed quite late that evening after enjoying a glass of cold white wine in the garden. For the first time in a month she felt happy and content. Perhaps she was slowly recovering from her heartbreak? She smiled before slipping under the covers. The effect of the wine lulled her to sleep fast, and before she knew it, she was floating away into dreamland.

Suddenly she was back in the pond, standing on the soft sand with water up to her belly. She was not alone, though. From behind a pair of strong muscular arms circled her waist. She leaned back a little, and she found her head resting against a warm, broad chest. One large hand went up to cup her left breast, playing with her nipple, making it hard almost immediately. She bit her lip, closed her eyes and moaned softly.

The other hand was stroking and teasing her abdomen. She could feel the heat pooling between her legs. His scent was fresh, manly and intoxicating. She leaned in a bit closer and could feel his erection against her back at the same time as his lips started placing light kisses on her neck. She was grinding herself against his impressive length and now it was his time to moan against her neck.

She smiled and he kept kissing her neck, his long, silky hair caressing her bare skin. She opened her eyes and was met by a waterfall of long blond hair over her shoulder. He had stopped kissing her neck now, and moved up to her ear, slowly licking it with his tongue. Both his hands were now playing with her breasts. For him she was a perfect handful. She moaned again, louder now. She was so incredibly turned on.

"Anna, you are mine now. Mine" The voice was familiar somehow. Dark and mysterious. It sent shivers down her spine.

Suddenly it dawned on her. She turned around fast in his arms, her heart beating like a drum. She met the ice blue eyes of the Elvenking...

Anna woke up quite brutally. It was still dark outside, she couldn't have slept very long. She was oddly wrapped in her sheet, sweaty and painfully aroused. She got up in a sitting position, her heart beating fast in her chest. Well, this was odd, and both pretty hot and disturbing at the same time. In a way it was a bit like having a sex dream about Santa Claus or something. She had never thought about him that way before, she had only seen him from a six year old child's perspective, oddly enough. But damn, was he hot in that dream..

She sighed and,could feel the wetness between her legs, soaking her small lace panties. She simply had to finish herself with her hands or she would never be able to sleep again. Her imagination continued where her dream ended, and she didn't have to go on for long before she came hard, with the image of the Elvenking fucking her vividly in her mind.

Afterwards, as she laid there panting in her after glow she felt a sting of guilt. Like as if she had tainted him, the angelic Elvenking from her childhood, with her fantasies. But then again the man in her dream was far from an angel. His eyes had been dark with lust and the way he had touched her had been anything but innocent. Besides, it was only a dream, and if he indeed existed he would never know... Anna got up and walked to the bathroom where she took a quick shower and changed her underwear and T-shirt.

In the kitchen, she had a glass of water before she grabbed a copy of her book The Elvenking and started looking at the illustrations. Somehow she had never managed to capture his facial features exactly in her drawings. The twenty years that had passed since she met him as as girl had made her memories rudimentary and tainted by her own imagination. Now, after her dream she could see his true face in detail every time she closed her eyes, like as if it had been hidden there somewhere in her mind, needing to be activated by the dream. She sat down, grabbed a paper and a pen and made a sketch of him. This one looked far more dark, sinister and sexier than the version in her book.

When she dropped the pen she could see the sun starting to rise in the east in the kitchen window. It tainted the horizon purple and orange. She needed to sleep a few more hours. Before she walked back to bed, she checked her phone. Today was the summer solstice she noticed. Today it would be twenty years since she had met the Elvenking.


	3. The Pond

**First of all I wanted to say thank you.. I have to say I'm slightly overwhelmed and surprised with the response I've got for this story. I basically just wrote this as a fun brake from my other longer, more adventure oriented fic.**

 **When I got the idea for this fic I had a very short story in mind. In fact, it was supposed to end after this chapter, but if you want to, I might be able to write maybe two or three more chapters. Still, I'll keep it fairly short.. What do you say about that?**

 **And, now to the warnings: This chapter, or the end of it at least is pure smut. And very graphic. If that is not your thing, then at least you've been warned...**

 **Also, this is an AU story, and in this universe, there are no Tolkien books, and Anna has no idea who Thranduil is.**

 **Now a big thank you to all the reviewers: TheBlueRoseLover, JustABite, Itiel, Guest, Lila, Nikki, Tobiramamara, MakerofGames03.**

 **Thank you all for liking the story and pushing me to continue. Hope you like this chapter. And a big thank you as well to all who followed and faved!**

Next time Anna woke up was at 11.30, according to her phone. She had slept like a baby this time and her whole body was relaxed. Outside the sun was shining from a clear blue sky and it was even hotter than the day before. She made a simple breakfast consisting of two pieces of toast with butter and a whole lot of coffee. She really needed to cut down on the black poison, but she couldn't be bothered at the moment.

She sketched and painted some flowers in the garden, but she kept feeling distracted, thinking about her dream last night. It was just a dream, but it had managed to make her feel more sexually frustrated than she cared to admit. She kept looking at the sketch of the Elvenking she had made earlier. She wondered if he had a name. Maybe she should give him one, since he would probably be the object of her fantasies for a while. Somehow she couldn't find any name that would match him, so she gave up and went inside to wash her hair instead.

After her shower, she decided to do her make up. She didn't use much, just covered up the dark circles under her eyes, filled in her eyebrows and applied some mascara. It made her feel a bit better about herself. She dressed in a short white dress and picked up her car keys. She hadn't originally planned to go to town today, but she suddenly had an urge to make something decent for dinner, and there was pretty much nothing in the fridge.

She drove for about half an hour to the closest supermarket and filled up her cart with everything she could possibly need and more. At the checkout she noticed a cute guy checking her out. She gave him a timid smile, and she had to admit she felt flattered and slightly bolder than usual. She hadn't even given Fred a thought the whole morning. She had to applaud herself.

Back at the house, she made a chicken salad and baked some baguettes. She packed everything into an old basket she found in a cupboard and took the bottle of wine she had opened yesterday with her as she walked towards the pond. It was late afternoon when she got there and she spread a fluffy blanket on the ground. Yesterday it was quiet around the small lake, but today the birds were singing like there was no tomorrow, and she even saw a rabbit jumping past her. Anna smiled, and this time she didn't try to follow it into the woods as she did twenty years ago when she got lost and met the Elvenking.

She didn't feel hungry yet, and to keep the wine cool she left the bottle in the cold water of the pond. Since she had brought her art supplies with her, as usual, she started painting the environment around her. She managed to capture the lush, green forest almost perfectly with her watercolors. This would be a great scenery for her new book. She had to admit she had outdone herself. She nodded in approval as she admired her work.

"You are very talented." She suddenly heard a deep voice behind her say. She squealed in horror, dropped her pad and got up on her unsteady feet.

Before her the Elvenking was standing, a small smirk playing on his lips. This time he had no crown on his head and he was dressed in all black, something she found quite odd since it was the middle of summer. Even if he wasn't as tall as she remembered him from her childhood, probably because she had grown herself, she still only reached his shoulder. With her heart beating like a drum in her chest, she took a few steps back. In the background among the trees, she could see the great elk munching on some leaves.

"This isn't real." She told herself aloud and backed away even more, getting dangerously close to the edge of the pond. But it was real. He was standing there in front of her just as solid as he had been all those years ago and as beautiful as in her dream last night. His long silver blond hair was glowing in the sunlight and his pale eyes had the color of a melting glacier.

"I am real, Anna. You don't have to be afraid of me. You weren't afraid of me back then, and I will not hurt you now." He said and took a few steps back as if he tried to make a point. He seemed sincere, tough, and Anna took a deep breath before she stepped away from the edge of the pond.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked, curious now.

"I recognize your eyes, and since I saw you outside the house earlier today I made an educated guess." He seemed amused, and it irked her somewhat. Had he been spying on her? Then she felt a small blush creeping up her cheeks when she remembered the way she had fantasized about him when she pleasured herself last night. It made her feel slightly dirty somehow and she lowered her gaze to her bare feet.

"I didn't want to scare you Anna. I was just admiring your work. You are a very talented artist." The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine, but then again, his voice could probably make reading a lawn-mover manual sound sexy.

"I'm not really an artist." She said and picked up her pad from the ground. "I'm an illustrator, and I write books for children."

He nodded and stretched out his hand as if he wanted to grab her pad.

"May I?"

"Sure." She gave him the pad and he sat down on the ground near her blanket making himself comfortable it seemed. She was happy this was a different pad, and not the one she had used when she made the sketch of him last night. The content in this one was mainly her concept art for her new book. Since he was sitting on the ground she sat back down on the blanket.

"Do you have a name?" She suddenly asked him, and he looked up from the pad.

"Yes, I do. But no one has used it for a very long time. My name is Thranduil."

"Thranduil". She repeated. It was an odd name, but nothing she would have come up with would have suited him better.

"It's a beautiful name." She said without thinking. He looked up at her and that small smirk was back on his lips. Did he know he had a certain effect on her? Probably. She had never been a very good actor.

"Thank you." He said.

"I was about to eat. I'm sure there is enough for both of us. Do you want some salad and wine?" She asked, and wondered what had gotten into her.

"That would be nice Anna." He smiled, and this time it wasn't his trademark smirk, he seemed sincerely thankful, and maybe a bit touched.

Anna went to the pond and picked up the bottle. It was still pleasantly cool to the touch and she emptied half of the content into the wine glass and left the rest for herself in the bottle. Drinking from the bottle wasn't very classy, but she had only one glass. She hadn't expected company. She had to do the same with the salad. She placed half of the salad on the plate, and kept the rest in the bowl. She gave Thranduil the fork and kept the spoon for herself.

"There you are." She smiled and handed over the food and wine to the elf. Getting closer to him she picked up the same scent as she had in her dream. It was odd. Maybe it was just a memory from her earlier encounter with him, that resurfaced, and simply had a very different effect on her now?

"Thank you." He nodded and as he grabbed the glass their hands touched briefly and it sent a shiver through her whole body. Damn, why was he so attractive?

They ate in silence for a while and he seemed to savour every bite. It meant her cooking wasn't totally horrible, she guessed. She didn't consider herself a particularly skilled cook.

"I haven't eaten for many years." He said as if he had caught her looking and knew what she was thinking.

"And you're not dead?" She couldn't help but to chuckle a bit as she took a sip of wine from the bottle.

"Obviously.." He smiled. "The whole thing is rather complicated. I only possess a physical body two days and two nights a year. On the longest, and the shortest day of the year, I walk these woods as I once did. The rest of the year I only exist as a spirit just as the rest of my people, who didn't sail, do permanently. During the time I am in solid form, I can manage without eating, but I sometimes do it simply for the pleasure."

She looked at him with a mix of horror and curiosity.

"What do you mean by sailing?" She asked.

"When the time of the elves came to an end, a very long time ago, most of my people chose to sail to a place called Valinor. I guess it is what you humans would call an afterlife. But a few of us stayed. I am the only one left who has the ability to be self aware and take physical form. Why, I do not know."

She didn't know what to say. It all sounded utterly unbelievable to her, but for some reason she didn't think he was lying to her. A great sadness filled her heart, when she looked at him. She couldn't imagine being that lonely, and she was not the most social person. She nodded and had to accept there was no way she could even begin to understand the kind of life he had lived. She instead took the bowl of strawberries from the basket and held it in front of him.

"Dessert?"

"Yes, please." He smiled and grabbed some strawberries.

She did the same and he started looking at her paintings and drawings again. Maybe it was the wine that made her bolder, but as she explained the drawings to him, she had moved closer, and closer to him. The tingle she felt every time their fingers accidentally touched, made her more and more frustrated and aroused. She took one of the last strawberries from the bowl and after she had eaten it, she slowly licked the left over juice from her fingertips. She didn't realize that the simple gesture was very suggestive. Thranduil's eyes suddenly turned darker and before she knew it, he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

The first kiss was very gentle, but when she kissed him back, it was like the floodgates broke inside him, his hunger almost overwhelming. Anna moaned into his kiss and greedily accepted his tongue as it begged for entry. He pushed her down on the blanket and his larger body covered hers. She never knew simply kissing anyone could feel this good. One of his hands came up to caress her thigh under her dress while her hands were fumbling with the many buttons on his tunic.

When he finally broke the kiss they were both breathless and he put his forehead against hers, caressing her cheek. She reached her hand up and gently touched the tip of his strange ear. He moaned loudly from her light touch, and it made her smile. She would remember it later. There was just something about him and the way he touched her that made her hungry for more. Like in her dream, he started placing light kisses on her neck, and she continued working on his buttons until she could feel his naked muscular chest against her palms. He lightly bit down on the soft skin near her collarbone, and Anna whimpered and arched her back.

Thranduil pulled her dress over her head and tossed it over his shoulder, followed with his own unbuttoned tunic. Anna wore no bra and one of his large hands went straight down to cup her right breast, while his lips took care of the left. His fingers and hot mouth expertly made her nipples hard in an instant. She felt the heat pooling between her legs and she knew he would find her soaking wet when he reached down to remove her panties.

"Perfect, Anna." Thranduil whispered and his mouth descended on her right breast instead and one of his hands travelled down her abdomen. The other hand cupped her left breast, feeling its weight and how perfectly it fit in his large hand.

She moaned wantonly, and pushed herself closer to him, feeling his hard cock straining against his trousers. Her small hand reached down to slowly stroke him through the fabric and he groaned. His hand teased its way down from her abdomen, over her hip bones to the inside of her thigh. He let his fingers draw patterns on her thigh, but never reaching quite where she wanted them to. She tried to push herself closer to his hand, but he simply chuckled with amusement.

"Please." She whispered desperately, out of breath. It was not like her to be this bold, but with him she felt so very different.

"Eager aren't we?" He kissed her on the mouth and finally he gave her what she wanted. His finger found its way into her panties and he slowly started stroking her wet folds, sometimes flickering over her clit. She moaned, and he managed to get her panties off and tossed them away. She was there naked and panting on the soft blanket and the elf looked down at her with hungry eyes. He withdrew his hand and she whimpered from the loss and watched him licking her juices from his finger like it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted. His pupils were dilated and his eyes full of lust. For some reason, the way he looked at her, made her feel desirable and relaxed even if she was naked and her legs spread wide before him in broad daylight. With Fred she would have felt slightly embarrassed and insecure.

"So very beautiful.." He said, seemingly mostly to himself. He reached down and tasted her, his mouth sometimes lingering on her clit, flickering his tongue or lightly sucking it. He inserted one finger, and then another into her. He slowly moved in and out, slightly hooking his fingers inside her until he found the right spot. Anna arched her back and curled her toes. God, it felt so good.

"Fuck, don't stop.." She panted, and he complied.

She felt herself getting closer and closer to her orgasm, and the pleasure was so intense that she couldn't keep still. Thranduil pushed her hip down with his free hand and slowly massaged her lower abdomen. He increased the pressure and a few moments later, Anna lost control, and came in a way she never had before. It felt like her whole body was on fire. She screamed his name and he pulled out his fingers, but kept licking her slowly until she came down from her climax.

Anna smiled and stared up into the green canopy above her head. A few seconds later Thranduil leaned over her and kissed her gently. His blond hair surrounded their faces like a curtain. She could taste herself on the kiss, and it was obscenely arousing.

"You're Amazing.." She sighed.

He simply smiled and caressed one of her breasts gently.

"It's your turn now." She said with a smile and managed to get up in a sitting position. Her body was still slightly buzzing after her orgasm, but she was ready. He sat up next to her and she crawled over and kissed him before her hand slowly caressed its way down Thranduil's sculpted abs. When she reached his trousers, she undid his belt, and reached inside to grab his hard cock. He twitched in her hand and Thranduil hissed with pleasure as he undid the laces on the sides to give her better access. God, he was big, her fingers couldn't even reach all the way around him. Her heart started beating faster as she started stroking him firmly, caressing his leaking tip with her thumb. His size both scared her and turned her on immensely. She increased her pace and pressure. He closed his eyes and groaned.

"Anna, please stop. I won't last long. I want to be inside you.."

She smiled and couldn't help being delighted that she could make him react this way. She let her hand stroke him a few more times before she let go. He hissed from the loss and he was breathing heavily. Anna put her arms around his neck and straddled his lap. She kissed him, and guided the tip of his erection to her entrance. She slowly lowered herself onto him and felt him stretch her to the limit. She bit her lower lip and moaned in both pleasure and pain. She had never felt so deliciously full in her life, and when she had adjusted to his size and started moving the pleasure was almost unbearable. They both moaned in delight and when she looked up into his eyes, they were glazed with lust just as in her dream.

"Oh, God you feel so good." She moaned and started moving faster. He took her hips in a firm grip, and helped her keep the pace. She started to feel the pressure building inside her again, and when he sensed she was starting to lose control of her movements he flipped her over on her back. He pulled out of her for a moment, before reentering her roughly. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he fucked her hard, without mercy. The only thing she could hear was the sound of their moans and grunts and the only thing she could feel was the pleasure building inside her as he slammed his cock into her relentlessly.

"Come for me Anna.." He groaned and reached down to flick her clit. And she did, harder than the first time, the pleasure almost making her black out. Like in a dream she could hear her own screams and feel her walls contracting around him as he continued to fuck her until she could feel his hot seed filling her and hear his grunts of pleasure as he came deep inside her.

He pulled out of her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard. She sighed, and her limbs were so heavy she could barely lift her hand to caress his cheeks. She could feel herself drifting into sleep, but she fought to keep her eyes open.

"That was amazing." She smiled.

"Yes, it was." He smiled and seemed more happy and content than she had ever seen him.

The hot afternoon had turned into evening, but it was still warm and the birds were singing around them. The elk was nowhere to be seen around the pond at least. Anna felt sweaty and deliciously sore. The cold water in the pond was tempting.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" She asked.

"Why not." He smiled and pulled her up on her feet. Anna jumped into the pond and let the clear water swallow her. The cold water was a shock to her system and made her feel wide-awake again. As she breached the surface, she was caught by Thranduil, who lifted her up and pulled her into his arms.

"Anna, will you be here, waiting for me at the winter solstice?"

"Yes I will. I promise." She said and smiled.


	4. Winter

**It's time for another chapter.. Took me quite some time to write this one, since I currently go with the flow and see where it takes me. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, my original plan was to end the story at chapter 3, making it a PWP:ish sort of short story, but then I changed my mind. Anyway, this will mean, writing the next chapters will take a bit more time. I'm also not really sure if this will turn out as a "happily ever after" or a tragedy. What would you rather like to see?**

 **As usually, thank you for the nice reviews: kiranomi, Iris, Verdela, ndavis77, Guest, Naraiel, firerosedreamer67, Tobiramamara, Lila and Nikki. +Thanks to the new follows and faves.**

 **And as usually, the warnings: Sex. Quite a lot of it and graphic.**

Anna watched her reflection in the mirror. She wore more make up than usual, but she liked both the red lipstick and false eyelashes. She had her friend Joanna to thank for the transformation. Today was the day of the book release of her new book, and she was dressed in a tight black dress that showed a bit of cleavage. She lifted the necklace she got from Thranduil from the table and put it around her neck. It was a rather large pendant with a diamond surrounded by platinum leaves on a narrow chain.

Soon she would be with him again. The thought of his hands on her body made her feel instantly horny, and now was not the right time. She needed to get a grip, but the last six months had been filled with sexual frustration to a degree that made her feel insane at times. Her friends had noticed, she guessed. They had tried to get her to go on a bunch of blind dates, but she had absolutely no interest in other men. It was Thranduil she wanted, no one else. She sighed.

"Here you go." Joanna put down a tray with two champagne glasses on the vanity and gave one to Anna. The blonde seemed in a very good mood

"Thank you!" Anna smiled, and took a sip of the bubbly drink.

"That is a very pretty necklace. Is that a real diamond? Where did you get it?"

Joanna looked down at the diamond around Annas neck and Anna nodded.

"It's a gift." Anna simply said. She, really wanted to tell someone about Thranduil, but at the same time she realized she couldn't tell Joanna the whole truth. If she did, her friend wouldn't believe her anyway. What sensible person would? She had to go for a modified version of the truth, but at least that would stop her friends from trying to get her to go on more dates or download more silly dating apps on her phone.

"That's quite a gift.." Joanna smiled mischievously.

"Yeah. Actually I wanted to tell you for a while now. I'm sort of seeing someone. He gave this to me."

"I knew it! You've been acting kinda strange, ever since last summer. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"It's complicated.." Suddenly Anna felt like she was about to cry. With Thranduil nothing would ever be normal. It would be her going to see him two times a year, nothing more. It could never be a real relationship, but yet deep inside she knew she would always go back to him, and never be able to settle for another man. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Many times she had wondered if she had crossed some kind of invisible line that no human should ever cross by sleeping with him. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek, and Joanna put her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"Anna, please don't cry. He is married isn't he?"

Anna was tempted to say yes, it would have been an easy way to end the discussion, but she couldn't. Instead she shook her head.

"Remember last summer, when I went to Aunt May's house. Well, I met him there. He is a neighbour. He lives abroad, and he only visits twice a year. I'm going to see him next week, actually." It was as close to the truth she dared to go.

Joanna chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember you being very, very happy after that little holiday. Makes me think he must at least be good in bed, right? A long distance relationship isn't that bad, once you get used to it. Why don't we go shopping tomorrow, and get you some sexy lingerie. It will make him go nuts."

"Yes, he is amazing." Anna laughed and blushed. "I think we have to go now, or I'll be late for my own book release."

* * *

"We're so proud of you Anna!" Her mother hugged her tightly and her father showed a huge flower arrangement in her face. Christian stood behind her parents with a big smile on his lips. He too seemed very proud of his sister.

Her book release had been a success and the bookshop was packed. Anna didn't really enjoy being the center of attention, and large crowds sometimes made her freak out, but today she was happy. After all, she had worked hard with her book, and she guessed she deserved the attention.

"Thank you!" She smiled, and took the flowers. In the corner of her eye, she could see someone staring at her. Her heart sank. It was Fred. He was standing there near the door dressed in a black suit with a bouquet of red roses. The fact was that Fred had tried to call and text her many times the past month. She had never answered. Apparently his girlfriend had left him, and now he wanted Anna back. She wanted nothing to do with him. She shuddered.

Christian had noticed Anna's distress, and leaned in to whisper.

"Don't let that asshole ruin your evening, Anna. If you want to I'll tell him to fuck off and leave you alone."

Anna simply nodded, and was thankful that she didn't have to deal with the situation herself. To be honest, some of Fred's messages had been quite creepy. Christian walked away and luckily her parent's hadn't noticed the conversation or Fred.

"Anna, are you really serious about going to the cottage next week? You know, it's really dark and cold in the countryside this time of the year. And, what if it starts snowing heavily?" Her dad sounded worried. She sighed. She loved her parents, but quite often they were also very overprotective, even if she was a grown up woman now.

"Dad, you don't have to worry. It will only be for a few days, and it usually doesn't snow this time of the year . I have my phone with me all the time."

Her mother sighed.

"Just don't forget to lock the door at night, sweetheart. I don't want my little girl getting into trouble."

Anna started laughing, and shook her head in disbelief.

* * *

It was late at night when Anna got back to her apartment. After the book release she, Joanna, and her family went to have dinner at a fancy restaurant to celebrate her hard work. It had been a lovely evening, and now she felt relaxed and slightly tipsy from the wine she had with her meal. When she stepped out of the taxi, she started looking for her keys in her handbag, and when she found them she realized she was not alone. In the shadows next to the door, Fred was standing. He was staring at her, and he still had the roses in his hand. Anna swallowed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, and she could hear her voice shaking.

"Please, Anna I just want to talk to you. I'm sorry. Ok. I fucked up. I want you to give me another chance. Please. I love you." He looked at her with pleading eyes.

"You should have thought about it before cheating on me." She said angrily and tried to unlock the door. Fred grabbed her hand, a bit too hard. His eyes were dark and the way he stared at her possessively scared her.

"Don't touch me! I want nothing to do with you. Do you understand? Let go of me!"

"Anna, don't be silly." He hissed, but luckily for Anna her neighbor, the elderly Mr. Anderson stepped out of a taxi behind them at the same time. Fred let go of her, and Anna managed to get into the stairwell behind Mr. Anderson. She sighed in relief, but she could still see Fred staring at her through the glass door.

"Did he bother you?" The older man asked her.

Anna nodded.

"Do you want me to call the police?"

"No, I think I'll be ok. But thanks anyway." She smiled at Mr. Anderson, but her legs were shaking when she unloked the door to her appartment.

At home, she tried to relax, but she still closed the curtains in every single window. She lived on the ground floor after all, and she didn't want Fred to stare at her if he was still lurking somewhere outside. She had no idea he would react this way, and it terrified her. She hoped he wouldn't come back, but for some reason she was sceptical. She knew she would have to do something about the situation soon. At this rate, Fred was quickly turning into a stalker, and maybe going to the police was the right decision.

* * *

The road to the cottage felt long, but the weather was nice and sunny. The air was crisp and cold and the ground covered with a thin layer of frost. She started driving at noon from the city. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she figured she looked quite good. She had made some extra effort with her hair and make up and the new, and quite expensive lingerie, she wore underneath her warm winter clothes made her feel sexy.

She had neither seen, nor heard anything from Fred since last week. Perhaps he had finally got into his head that she wasn't interested in him. One could hope at least. She sighed. She hadn't told anyone about the incident outside her apartment. Perhaps she should have, but if she had told her parents or Christian they would have tried to convince her not to go to the cottage.

Her thoughts kept going back to the last time she saw Thranduil. After they had sex by the pond, he followed her back to the house, where they had sex once more, before Anna fell asleep, exhausted in his arms. She hadn't expected him to be there in the morning, but he was. He seemed surprised himself that he hadn't faded away to his spirit form. He argued he should have, after midnight.

He remained with her until late afternoon, when she finally noticed he seemed slightly less solid somehow. When the evening came, he had faded away, and it was one of the strangest and most heartbreaking things she had seen. Before he faded, he had taken the necklace out of his pocket and placed it around her neck and kissed her on the forehead with his ghost lips. She barely felt his touch, but she promised him once again, she would return in December.

When she came to the cottage she put the food in the fridge and made the bed before she walked to the now frozen pond. There she found Thranduil together with his elk. Today he was dressed in a long white tunic, black trousers and boots. On his head he wore the same crown as he did when she met him as a child, but today it was decorated with mistletoe. He honestly looked slightly surprised when he saw her running towards him. He caught her in his arms and kissed her hard. His lips were warm and hungry and her hands played with his long silky hair.

"You came back for me.." He whispered when they broke the kiss. In his eyes she could see a never ending longing. He caressed her cheek.

"Yes, I promised. Don't you remember?"

He sighed and kissed her forehead, holding her tight. Did he really think she wouldn't be here for him? She had longed for this moment for so long. For a second she wondered if he had been waiting for some other woman before her. One that had promised to return, but never did. Or, maybe this was what being lonely for so long did to a person.

"You look beautiful." He said and looked into her eyes.

"So do you." She teased, and pushed herself closer to him.

He smirked, took her hand and pulled her towards the elk.

"Come, I have something to show you."

Before she knew it, he had lifted her up in the saddle and climbed up behind her. They rode through the quiet, frozen forest for a while and when she leaned against his strong chest and felt him, placing light kisses on her neck, she felt both oddly relaxed and turned on at the same time. Slowly his warm hand found its way up under her jacket and teased her abdomen.

"I want you so bad, Anna." He whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her shiver.

His hand found its way down into her trousers, caressing her mound, before he started rubbing her clit and teasing her opening. Anna moaned and leaned further back into him to grant him better access. She hadn't even touched herself for many days, and she was so incredibly sensitive. Against her ass she could feel his hardening cock, and when she ground herself against him, he groaned loudly into her ear and started stroking her faster and harder. She could feel her juices flowing over his fingers, and the pleasure building deep in her core.

"Let go Anna. I want to feel your wet cunt squeezing my fingers when you come." His dirty words in her ear and his fingers pumping into her brought her over the edge.

"Oh fuck.." She whimpered as she lost control. For a second she was afraid she would fall off the elk, but his other arm grabbed her tightly around her waist as she came down from her high.

"Good girl.." He kissed her neck tenderly and she smiled and took a deep breath.

They rode for a few more minutes before they stopped next to a steep cliff face in the middle of the woods. Thranduil slid down from the saddle and lifted Anna down next to him.

"Poor animal. He's probably scarred for life now." Anna looked at the elk who started chewing on a young tree, not seeming to mind what had transpired on his back a few minutes ago.

Thranduil chuckled and touched the cliff with his hand. Suddenly a hidden door appeared out of nowhere and Thranduil stepped inside. Anna followed him tentatively. Inside, the air was warm and dry. Thranduil started walking down a long, sloping corridor. Every few steps he took a lantern on the wall flickered to life, and soon the whole corridor was illuminated by a warm golden light. The door closed behind them and after following Thranduil for a while, the corridor opened up into a vast cave illuminated by thousands of lanterns. It was the most beautiful thing Anna had ever seen. High, narrow walkways crossed the cavern in all directions and the only thing she could hear was the sound of water in the distance. Around her there were pillars of stone shaped like mighty trees.

Thranduil grabbed her hand and urged her on. They walked along a narrow walkway with no railings and Anna felt nauseous looking down into the dark chasm below her. Finally, they came to a platform where Thranduil sat down on what must be his throne. An ornate wooden chair decorated with a myriad of antlers.

"Welcome to my halls. Once the heart of my kingdom."

"It's beautiful. Thank you for taking me here."

Anna sighed, and looked around in awe, until Thranduil pulled her down to straddled him on the throne. He kissed her passionately, and slowly she let her jacket slide down her shoulders until it landed on the floor. Since he had played with her on the way there it was, her turn to play with him now. She removed her jumper and after that, her top. The bra and matching panties she had chosen during her shopping trip with Joanna were made of sheer red lace, and left almost nothing to the imagination. She stepped out of her trousers and straddled his lap again. He stretched out his hand to touch her, but she shook her head.

"No touching." She said. He smirked.

She pushed her breasts close to his face and reached inside the lace to play with her nipples. She bit her lower lip and she could feel his warm breath against her skin. She unclasped her bra, slowly rolled down her panties, and let them both fall to the ground. Her hands started unbuttoning his tunic and her lips kissed their way down his chest. He moaned as her naked body touched his skin and Anna smiled. Her hands went down to unlace his leggings before she got down on her knees on the floor. She pulled out his hard cock and teased the tip with her tongue. He hissed and her inner muscles clenched when she remembered how he felt inside her, stretching her like no other man had ever done.

She stopped for a while, and looked up at him. His pale eyes stared at her like a predator stared at its prey. She smiled and ran her tongue up his shaft, teasing him before she sucked the head of his cock into her mouth. She opened her mouth wide as she took him in, her tongue swirling around him. Anna had never particularly liked giving blowjobs, but now it was strangely arousing. Looking up at his beautiful face, seeing his control slip a little each second she worked him with her mouth was something else. The obscenely sexy sounds coming from his mouth made her pussy throb with desire.

"Stop!" He groaned and grabbed her hair roughly. She released his cock with a loud pop. He still held her hair in a firm grip, and she looked up at him panting with a small smile playing on her lips.

"Enough with your teasing. On your hands and knees on the throne." Thranduil commanded in a stern voice, and she obeyed without question. This was a new side of him. Greedy and dominant, but it seemed to come naturally to him, and it worked for her. Very much in fact.

He entered her with one hard thrust, and started fucking her roughly with her hips in a firm grip. His hands pressed into her soft flesh hard enough to bruise, and she could feel him hitting that right spot inside her that made her see stars. She wanted more, harder, faster. Her hips started meeting his thrusts, taking him deeper inside than she ever had before.

Anna cried out as one of his hands left her hip and grabbed her hair, jerking her up against his chest. He bit down hard on her shoulder and the pain sent her closer to the edge. His hand let go of her hair and went down to play with her breast, while his tongue kept licking the bite mark. She was a whimpering mess now and she could do nothing else than to come violently around his cock.

"Oh, God.." She screamed and she could feel his thrusts becoming more and more erratic until he came deep inside her. Afterwards, they both stayed still, panting in their afterglow. His hands slowly caressed her tired body.

"My beautiful Anna. You make me feel so happy and alive." He whispered as he pulled out of her, took her in his arms and sat down on the throne. Her body shivered and her arms and legs felt limp as she leaned against his chest. She sighed. Yes, she was happy too, but yet she wondered what kind of future they could have together. A regular woman, and a fairytale creature. She had hopes and dreams just like any other person. Maybe she wanted a family one day, a house and a normal life? She could probably never have any of that with him, and yet being near him made her heart sing in a way she had never experienced before. In his arms she felt calm, protected and desirable and he had showed her a magical world she never knew existed.

He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes with a worried expression.

"Did I hurt you Anna? Was I too rough with you?"

"No. I loved it. I was just thinking." She smiled weakly.

"About what?"

"Why didn't you sail together with your son? Why did you stay here?"

He sighed.

"I don't really know. Perhaps I felt like I couldn't leave, because there was something waiting here for me."

She frowned.

"Like what?"

He didn't answer her, he simply sighed, pulled her closer and kissed her longingly.

"You are probably getting cold and hungry, Anna. Maybe we should get dressed and go back to the house? It won't be more than a few hours before it gets dark."


	5. The Man In The Window

**Finally an update.. It took me a long time to write this chapter, I'm sorry. Hope you like it anyway.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed (EPandAR4ever, JustABite, Firerosedreamer6, kiranomi, Nikki, Tobiramamara, ndavis77 and Naraiel) and followed this story. I've answered some your reviews after the chapter, far down on the page.**

 **Warnings: Graphic sex (as usual), and creepy stalkerish ex-boyfriend doing creepy things.**

Anna woke up slowly the next day. She could hear the crackling of a fire burning in the fire place. It was pleasantly warm. She stretched out and moaned before opening her eyes. She was met by the sight of Thranduil smiling at her.

"You look beautiful when you sleep." He said.

She smiled, moved closer to him, kissed him and played with his hair.

"You made a fire?"

"Yes I did. I don't want you to get cold."

"That's very thoughtful of you."

He rolled her over, his body covering hers. She loved the feeling of his warm, soft skin against hers. They simply kissed for a while, just enjoying the closeness. He still seemed solid, and she hoped he would remain that way for a while, or forever if she could choose.

"No sign of you fading yet?" She asked when they had stopped kissing and she was braiding a strand of his hair.

"No, not yet."

"Why do you think that is? Do you think you will last longer this time than last summer?"

"Maybe it is because of you. And, I do hope I could be here a few more days with you."

"I'm not good with magic." Anna joked and her fingers let go of his hair and started drawing circles over Thranduil's chest. She really wanted to stay with him as long as possible, but there was one problem. It would be Christmas soon, and she had promised her parents to celebrate with them. She sighed. Thranduil seemed lost in his own thoughts and for a few minutes they were silent.

"I think, somehow the Valar might have something to do with it. Maybe they see how much I want to be with you, and give me some extra time."

"What are "The Valar"?"

"They are higher beings. You would call them gods, I suppose. The rest of my people, those who sailed live among The Valar in Valinor now."

Anna nodded. She was not the most religious person, but why wouldn't he tell her the truth? She had seen enough magic with him to understand that reality was very far from what she had previously believed it to be.

* * *

Anna let the hot water soothe her body. Pretty much every part of her was sore, but in a pleasant way. She sighed and let her soapy hand caress her hard nipples. She could feel the dull, throbbing ache, and the wetness between her legs. He had taken her two more times last night, and yet she wanted more. Somehow she had turned from quite a shy girl, who wanted to cover her body during sex, to a horny nymphomaniac. She smiled. She had no reason to complain. Part of her Always wanted to be like this, to be able to enjoy sex fully without shame, but her own insecurities had held her back.

At the moment, though her body clearly needed a bit of a break, at least for a few hours. Thranduil had been quite rough with her at times, but she loved it. Her memories of the day and night before kept replaying in her mind as she washed her hair, dried herself and got dressed. She needed a distraction, she thought as she dabbed on some perfume and applied a bit of mascara.

When she stepped out of the bathroom Thranduil was fully dressed and sat by the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea. He seemed to learn things quickly she noticed. Yesterday he had observed her as she made seafood pasta for dinner, and now apparently he knew how to use the stove since there were eggs boiling and pastries in the oven. She nodded in approval. One would think cooking would be beneath him as a king, but clearly that was not the case. But, then again, he had been alone for a very, very long time, and probably had to learn to take care of himself.

He looked out the window sipping his tea. The weather had turned from cold and clear to the usual humid and foggy December weather she was used to. Everything around the cottage looked depressingly brown and gray besides a few evergreen bushes in the garden. She sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder.

"Thank you for making breakfast." She whispered.

"I figured it would be fair, since I kept you up most of the night." He chuckled. "What do you want to do today?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to your halls. I want you to show me everything."

"As you wish. But we hardly have time to see everything in one day. The halls stretch further underground than you can imagine. Once there were thousands of elves living there."

* * *

An hour later they were standing next to the same mossy, steep cliff face as yesterday. The door opened without a sound, and they walked down the same corridor as yesterday, the lights flickering to life as they walked.

"Where do you want to begin?" Thranduil asked when they were standing on one of the walkways.

Anna was still not used to the fact that railings didn't seem to exist in this place. She swallowed and pulled her bag with her art supplies closer to her chest. She had no idea where she wanted to go next. The complex seemed to go on forever, being swallowed by darkness in all directions. Yes, the caverns were beautiful beyond belief, but also scary and very alien.

"Why don't you show me where you used to live." She finally said.

He nodded and took her hand, thankfully leading her away from the walkway and on into a new corridor with high ceilings sculpted like a canopy of branches and leaves. The stone walls were a pinkish marble and the lanterns hanging from the ceiling were ornate and expensive looking. Thranduil stopped outside a heavy wooden door.

"These are the king's chambers. To be honest, I haven't been here for years. When I exist in solid form I prefer being outside, walking the woods."

Anna nodded and Thranduil opened the door and gestured for Anna to enter. The room she walked into seemed to be some kind of combination of an office, library and sitting room. Two of the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves filled with books and scrolls that seemed just as ancient as the place itself. There were two high, narrow windows opposite the bookshelves and from there she had a breathtaking view of the opens caverns, the high walkways and the throne.

She sighed delightfully, and her hands ran over the smooth wooden surface of a big desk, probably where Thranduil used to do his paperwork once upon a time. Behind the desk three portraits hung on the wall. One was of Thranduil, and one was of another blonde, male elf.

"Is this your son?"

"Yes, it is Legolas, my son." Thranduil nodded.

Then her eyes fell on the third portrait, one of a very beautiful female elf with a crown on her head. Somehow looking at the woman's perfect face made her feel very inadequate. She sighed.

"My former wife. We were not married for long" Thranduil said, as if he knew what was going on inside her head.

"What happened?"

"It was a loveless marriage. Arranged by my father. She left, and sailed to Valinor after my son was born. I would think, and hope she found her true mate there."

"True mate?" Anna looked at him curiously.

"Elves only find true love once in their life. A soul mate, you would probably call it."

She nodded, and also felt a bit sorry for him. An arranged marriage sounded like a true nightmare. It couldn't have been easy.

"Come Anna, let us not dwell in the past. I have much more to show you."

Thranduil opened another door and made Anna follow him into what looked like a bedroom.

* * *

It had taken him almost two days to figure out where she was going. He saw her packing her car, and drive away, but he had no time to follow her. He still had a job, after all, and he didn't want to make anyone suspicious by not turning up on time again. He gulped coffee from his thermos mug and his fingers tapped the steering wheel hard. He turned up the volume on the stereo even more and stuffed a new chewing gum into his mouth. He chewed for five minutes before he spat the gum in a napkin and grabbed a new one.

Anna had posted nothing on social media for a while, and given no indication where she was going, or why. She was never this ignorant or secretive before. He gritted his teeth. Finally, after lurking on Facebook for 24 hours, he found a conversation between between Christian and Anna's father. Apparently she was going to her Aunt May's cottage. Why the hell was she going there? Now, in the middle of winter no less. Was this about more of her silly book ideas? Trolls, elves and God knew what else. At least she made money from it, and that was important for their future life together. He took another gum, and one more sip of coffee.

At the book release last week, Anna had seemed different somehow. She never used to dress this sexy before. He liked that dress very much. She Always had great tits, that was for sure. His jeans suddenly felt a lot tighter. He chewed his gum aggressively, before rolling down the window and spitting it out into the sunset. She probably dressed like a little slut just to tease him, and then played hard to get. Pretty obvious for anyone to see really. He glanced at his watch. An hour to go still. He really needed more coffee, but the mug was empty.

* * *

Anna made a simple homemade pizza with mozzarella cheese and basil for dinner, and when it was ready, she opened up a bottle of red wine. She poured two glasses and gave one of them to Thranduil. She knew he really liked wine, and this time he sniffed the drink with a delighted expression and his long elegant fingers played over the rim of the glass.

It had been a long day and after dinner they were sitting together on the sofa. Thranduil had showed her both the great hall, the dungeons, and many other parts of his halls, and Anna had made as many sketches and drawings as she could. He had told her countless stories of elves, dwarves, wizards and magic rings. Some of it could probably be adapted into several children's books, but most of it was a bit too gruesome, she figured.

"This really looks a lot like the creature Gollum.."

Thranduil was flipping through her sketch pad, and she leaned against his shoulder. Gollum had fascinated Anna for some reason, and she had used her imagination together with Thranduil's descriptions to capture the creature in several sketches. She yawned and took another sip of her wine. Thranduil lifted an eyebrow.

"Tired?"

"A bit.."

He let go of the pad and took her chin in his hand. He smirked and she could see that glimmer of naughtiness in his eyes that she loved.

"How sad. I had many plans for us tonight. "

"Really? Maybe you could try to change my mind about going to bed then?" She smiled.

Thranduil pulled Anna closer and kissed her. Her tongue reached out, licking his lower lip begging for entrance. They kissed lazily for a while and his hand found its way up under her shirt, cupping her breast, playing with her nipple, turning it into a hardened peak. Anna moaned and started unbuttoning her shirt to give him better access.

"I prefer when you don't wear all that underwear." He said when they broke the kiss.

He reached down to capture one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking it lightly and swirling his tongue around it. Anna's eyes suddenly fell on their reflection in the large full length mirror opposite the sofa. Seeing them in the mirror like this turned her on so much! She moaned and started playing with her other nipple. It caught Thranduil's attention and he let go of her breast. He smirked, and looked into her eyes in the mirror.

"Go on.. Show me how you pleasure yourself when I'm not around." Thranduil said, his pale blue eyes burned with lust.

At first Anna felt a bit self-conscious, but after seeing how turned on he was, she decided to put on a real show for him. Slowly she reached down to unbutton her jeans, pulled them down together with her panties and spread her legs wide. She let two of her fingers lazily drag along her folds, biting her lower lip. God, she was so wet already, but then again, she always was for him.

She flicked over her clit a few times before she lifted her fingers to her mouth, letting her tongue taste her own juices. He groaned and their eyes never left each other in the mirror. With a little smile on her lips, her hand went back down to play with her clit. She was concentrated at first, slowly massaging herself, but as her pleasure started building she moaned an closed her eyes, her head falling back.

"No Anna, open your eyes." She heard Thranduil's dark voice whisper in her ear. "And you won't come until I let you. Do you understand?"

She groaned in frustration and forced her eyes open. In the short while she had her eyes closed Thranduil had managed to get rid of his tunic, and she could see his hard cock straining against the fabric of his leggings. She wanted him inside her so badly. She groaned in frustration as her fingers left her clit, going down to tease her opening instead.

"Yes, like that. I want to see you fuck yourself." He whispered, leaning close to her ear, but never taking his eyes off their reflection in the mirror.

She did as she was told and let two of her fingers slip into her wet heat. During their month apart, she had perfected the technique he used on her, and her fingers quickly found her G-spot inside her. As she continued to play with herself, she could feel her climax building fast inside her again and watching her own glistening, wet fingers going in and out of herself made her moan louder with every movement she made.

"That's enough. I think you are a bit too good at this yourself." Thranduil hissed and caught her wrist.

"No, please.. I need to come.." She wailed as he pulled her hand away from her throbbing core.

"And you will.. In time." He smirked and started licking her juices from her hand. "Always so wet for me." He murmured as he got down up on his knees and spread her legs a bit wider.

He started slow, by licking her up and down, avoiding her clit, but his tongue teasing her opening now and then, almost entering her. She moaned loudly with a mix of pleasure and frustration.

"Such a delicious, beautiful cunt." He whispered against her swollen clit as he let two of his large fingers slide into her. His fingers filled her up so much better than her own, and she bit her lip not to scream in pleasure as he started pumping into her with frenzy.

"Maybe I should let you come now, Anna?" He removed his mouth momentarily and looked up at her.

"Yes, yes. Please..." She moaned as his fingers worked inside her, making her see stars, approaching her climax fast.

"Come for me Anna." He said before reaching down to suck her clit hard and demanding.

She could not keep her eyes open any longer. Her hands went up to play with her breasts as she felt her toes curling and her breathing getting shallow. Pleasure exploded inside her, she screamed his name and felt her pussy clench around his fingers. As she started to come down from her high she felt him pulling his fingers out of her, but he kept licking her lazily for a while, until she was breathing normally again.

His mouth finally let go of her and he came up to kiss her on the lips instead. They kissed passionately for a while, and she could feel herself getting very aroused again.

"I want you inside me.. I want you to fuck me hard." She whispered, her tongue teasing the sensitive tip of his ear. He groaned and she tried to reach down to unlace his leggings. Instead, he lifted her up and carried her over to the dining table. He spread her legs before he unlaced his leggings and let them fall to the floor. He let his cock slide along her slit a few times, coating himself with her juices, before he grabbed her hips and positioned himself at her entrance.

She nervously tried to push herself closer to him. God, she was so damn tired of his teasing! Why couldn't he just fuck her already? He smirked and let one of his hands move to tease her clit. She moaned wantonly and tried again to get closer to him, but his strong hand held her firmly in place. How was it possible to have this much self control? Slowly he entered her, burying himself in her wet heat. He released a low groan when he was finally fully inside her. His eyes rested on where they were joined for a while, before he started moving.

She could see the passion on his face, as he fucked her leisurely for a while. Slowly he loosened the grip on her hips and she could thrust back, taking him further inside her. He adjusted his angle somewhat until he hit the right spot inside her and she started to moan uncontrollably.

"So tight, Anna. You feel so good around my cock." He groaned as she started seeing stars again, his thrusts becoming harder, more demanding.

Then, suddenly, he stopped dead in his movement, pulled out of her and pulled his trousers up. With an angry groan, he rushed out of the cottage.

"Thranduil, what are you doing?!" She shouted, still lying there with her legs spread. She got down from the table and wrapped her bathrobe that she found on a chair around her, before following Thranduil outside.

* * *

It took him two hours to reach that damn cottage in the middle of nowhere. At least he knew he hadn't come in vain, since he could see the lights were on in most of the windows and Anna's car was parked nearby. He parked his car next to hers and quietly made his way to the small white house. He spat his chewing gum into one of the bushes.

On the way he took a sip from his flask. It was filled with smoky, expensive whiskey. He wouldn't have to drive home after all. Anna would love his little spontaneous visit, and would let him stay the night. Going to the countryside was probably just one more of her whorish little schemes to make him go wild. The whole "trying to be hard to get" thing really turned him on.

Outside the cottage he sneaked around the corner to look inside what was apparently the larger bedroom. The bed was unmade, and the room empty. So was the kitchen. A half eaten pizza rested on the kitchen counter. Mozzarella and basil. One of Anna's standard dishes. Perhaps the rest was for him? Only one piece left, though. What a greedy bitch she was... He smirked.

He rounded the corner and passed by the door. Then he tentatively peeked through the living room window. The sight that met him was something out of a nightmare.. His breathing quickened and he had to take a large sip out of his flask. On the sofa, he saw Anna, her thighs spread like a wanton whore, touching her own breasts with her wicked hands. He could hear her moans through the window. She had never been this bold this with him. He clenched his fists. Between Anna's legs he could see a silver blond head, and at first he thought it was a woman, but then he saw the back and muscular shoulders. It was a guy, eating her out.. His Anna!

He wanted to kill her. How could she do this to him? That damn whore!

He could see Anna's body tense up, and hear her screams of pleasure as she came. The blonde man kept licking her until her body had calmed down. Then they kissed for a while, and he saw her, licking one of his ears with the tp of her tongue. It was not a normal ear. It was pointed, like the ears of the elves she was often drawing. Then he remembered her stupid book, about the Elvenking. Didn't her illustrations of him fit this horny asshole perfectly? Tall, with long white blonde hair, big, dark eyebrows, and broad shoulders. But elves were not real, everybody knew that. The more he looked at the man, the less human he seemed, there was just something about the way he looked, and moved that was very odd. What the hell was going on here?

The man lifted Anna like she weighed nothing, and put her down the dining table. The man, or elf looked terrifying and dangerous, but Anna willingly spread her legs for him. Fred took a big sip of his whiskey. How the hell could Anna let this "thing" fuck her?

He withdrew a bit too fast from the window, his heart beating fast in his chest. The elf suddenly turned his head towards the window. The creature had seen him, and his cold, pale blue eyes seemed to bore into Fred's soul. He started panicking and ran towards his car, but the ground was muddy and slippery and before he knew it he slipped and fell.

He cursed, and landed in a pool of dirty water and mud, and before he knew if the elf was standing above him looking like a murderous psychopath.

"Please, don't kill me." He shouted desperately.

* * *

 **To the reviewers:**

JustABite: You nailed it haha. That was sort of how it turned out in this chapter. =)

Tobiramamara and ndavis77: Thanks for your input. I do think I want a happy ending myself.

Naraiel: Thank you. Yes, Fred is a nasty piece of work. He has some issues..

Firerosedreamer6: Don't think anyone like Fred haha.. He is fun to write, though.

Nikki: Thank you. Yes, Anna and Thranduil are pretty lovely together =)


	6. Secrets

**A new week, a new chapter. I guess there will be two or three more before I'm done with this story. I'll try to write a chapter a week, but since I'm not a native speaker, it is quite a process for me, and sometimes it might take me longer.**

 **As usual, I'd like to thank all the readers, reviewers, faves and followers. I have, again answered your reviews after the chapter. =)**

 **Warnings: None. No porn this time.. A Little violence, perhaps.**

Anna stood on the porch and watched in horror as Thranduil grabbed a screaming Fred from the mud on the ground and slammed him against the wall with force. Anna was almost surprised that she couldn't hear the sound of bones breaking.

"Why were you watching us, and who are you?" One of Thranduil's hands was wrapped around Fred's neck.

Fred didn't answer, he looked like he was about to cry and the look on Thranduil's face made Anna shiver.

"This is Fred. My former fiance. The one I told you about." Anna walked slowly towards the men. She held her hand up to calm down the elf.

"Are you here to hurt Anna?" Thranduil asked.

"N-no. I...I was just looking."

"Just looking? Did you like what you saw?" Thranduil laughed, his laughter dry and cruel.

"You have no reason to be here and you know it..." Anna said walking closer to Fred. She reached down into his pocket and pulled out his phone. She smashed it against the wall, breaking it into pieces. Fred looked devastated, but didn't say a word. Thranduil raised an eyebrow at her.

"In case he filmed us." She said coldly. He nodded.

"What do you want me to do with him, my love? I could break his neck. His death will be quick and painless." Tears started running down Fred's cheeks, his brown eyes filled with horror. Anna remained quiet for a while. She was not sure if Thranduil was serious about the whole killing thing, but something in his eyes told her he was. She wondered if he had killed before. It sure seemed like that. She shuddered.

"Please Anna.. I love you.." Fred sniffled like a scared child.

"No, you don't love me. You never did. You don't know what love is." Anna said. The whole situation was utterly bizarre. She shook her head.

"We have to let him go." She probably hated him, but not enough to want to see him dead, and the consequences for her and Thranduil would potentially be devastating if he died. Even worse, what would killing him make her? Something much worse than Fred himself. A cold hearted murderer. After all, if they let him go, what could he say? That he was attacked by an elf while he was stalking his ex-girlfriend? Last week Joanna had managed to convince her to talk to the police concerning the creepy and threatening messages Fred had sent her and the incident outside her apartment. They were on to him, and if he started rambling about an elf trying to kill him, people would think he was insane. Then again, he probably was insane. This man was not the Fred she had once fallen in love with. He was never the perfect boyfriend, and he had made her feel bad about herself for a long time, and cheated on her, but she never thought him capable of stalking and threatening her. Something had to be mentally wrong with him. She sighed and she could see Thranduil reluctantly letting go of Fred's neck.

"If you ever try to hurt her, or even come near her again, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?" Thranduil said.

Fred nodded.

Thranduil let go of the smaller man, and Fred fell to the ground, like a sack of potatoes. He was hyperventilating and when he finally got up on his feet, his legs were shaking.

"Off you go." Thranduil said mockingly.

Fred turned around and ran towards his car without hesitation. As he drove away Anna finally lost it. Her whole body was shaking, tears streaming down her face. Thranduil caught her in his arms, but she remained tense. He sighed.

"Anna. I know what you are thinking, but I would never hurt you." He whispered into her hair.

"Have you ever killed someone, besides the orcs you told me about before? I mean, a human."

"Yes, I have." He confessed and sighed. "Times were different then, and I needed to protect my people and those I loved. Please Anna, believe me. I could never hurt you."

When she looked up into his eyes, she somehow knew he was telling her the truth, and she relaxed a little. Stil,l she couldn't stop crying.

"Anna, we need to go inside. You will get cold." Thranduil said and smiled.

"I don't feel safe here anymore." She said as he wiped her tears from her cheeks. "I want to go home."

He nodded, but looked almost heartbroken. She didn't want to leave him either.

"Can you come with me?"

"I do not like leaving my forest, but for you I will. It doesn't matter where I am when I fade, my spirit will return here anyway when I do."

"Thank you." She said. "We should probably get going as soon as we can. It's better if we arrive when it's dark. I'll get you some human clothes tomorrow."

* * *

Anna packed and cleaned the cottage as fast as she could, and two hours later they were on their way to the city. Thranduil seemed fascinated by the car, but he didn't look very comfortable. If Anna was in a better mood she would have found it slightly comical, but now she only wanted to get back home as soon as possible. She ignored the speed limits until they reached the city, and going as fast as they did seeme to make him even more uncomfortable.

"I have seen these cars driving by my forest for years now, but I never realized they could move this fast. I do not like it."

"I'm sorry. I just want to get home as fast as I can." She smiled weakly and he nodded.

When they finally parked the car in the garage it was past midnight and luckily they didn't bump into anyone in the stairwell. She sighed with relief as she closed the door behind them and turned on the lights. Thranduil looked around curiously.

"Welcome to my apartment. What do you Think?"

"It's small and everything is very white, but it smells like you. I like that." He kissed her on the forehead and she smiled an yawned.

"White goes with everything, and it's a calming colour." Anna smiled. I'm sorry, I'm really tired." She said, took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

"I understand. It has been a long day."

When she was curled up in his arms under the covers, she still couldn't relax. Her heart was beating too fast, and her thoughts were all over the Place. Thranduil sighed behind her.

"You need to get some rest, Anna. It will feel better tomorrow."

"Maybe ,but there is still so much I just don't understand."

"Was he always like that. Fred I mean?"

"No. That's what confuses me. I was pretty Young and naive when we met, and he didn't always make me feel good about myself, but he didn't behave like this. Most definitely not. When he cheated on me, I didn't get the impression he ever wanted me back. But then he started acting like this. There is probably something very wrong with him.

"He is foolish. Why would any man cheat if he had someone like you." Thranduil kissed her neck. "However, I do not think he will bother you again. He is scared to death of me." Thranduil chuckled.

"I do hope so."

Anna was not convinced though. She needed to get rid of the broken pieces of Fred's phone tomorrow. She had told Thranduil she was young and naive when she met Fred, but what was she now? Probably just as naive being with Thranduil, who was thousands of years old and a non human creature from a fairytale world hidden from reality. Was it her biggest mistake yet to bring Thranduil here? She desperately needed someone to talk to, someone who could give her an alternative opinion. That someone had to be Joanna. She was the only one who might believe her and not freak out. She sighed.

"Relax Anna." She felt Thranduil's lips touch the top of her head, and heard him whisper a few words in a language she could not understand. Suddenly she felt herself slip into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Anna woke up quite early. Her phone on the bedside table told her it was 8.25 in the morning and next to her Thranduil was sleeping. It was the first time she had seen him sleep, and even if he had told her that elves slept with their eyes open, it was still quite odd seeing him like this. It was the day before Christmas eve, and probably the last chance for her to meet up with Joanna before the holidays.

Anna slipped out of bed as quietly as she could and went to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. She knew Joanna was on her way to work, and she decided to give her a call.

"Anna. I didn't think you would be up this early. Are you still at the cottage?" Joanna said.

"Nope. I'm back home. I was wondering if you'd like to have lunch with me today?"

"Sure. Did something go wrong with your mystery man? You sound a bit off." Anna sighed. Joanna knew her too well.

"Yes, and no. Look, I really need to talk to you."

"Sure. Why don't we meet at the sushi place a couple of blocks from my work. It's nice and quiet there. At 12.00, Ok?"

"Yes, that will be great. Thank you."

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right."

Anna hung up and poured some coffee for herself. She shivered when she thought about how Joanna would react to what she was about to tell her.

* * *

A few hours later she met up with Joanna at the sushi bar, and after they placed their order Anna was nervously sipping her mineral water. She had left Thranduil alone at home, and told him not to open the door if anyone came by. She hoped nothing bad would happen when she was away. The feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach was growing into a big, heavy lump as she watched Joanna sit down with a bowl of miso soup opposite her. They were sitting in a quiet corner of the restaurant.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Joanna was her regular easygoing self and dressed neatly in a pencil skirt, a white blouse and a blazer.

"Can you promise me that no matter what I tell you, you won't tell anyone else. This stays between us ok?" Anna had no idea how else she would start the conversation. "And, try not to freak out. Although I can't really blame you if you do.."

Joanna raised an eyebrow, and nodded.

"I promise I won't tell anyone. You know you can trust me, don't you?"

"You have never disappointed me so far." Anna gave her a weak smile, and Joanna took her hand and squeezed it.

"I've never seen you so worried Anna. I promise I won't judge you."

"Remember last week before the book release, when I told you that I was seeing someone. Well, I lied when I said it was a neighbor who lived abroad most of the year."

"Ok. So you are not dating anyone?" Joanna looked confused.

"No, I am seeing someone, and he is a neighbour to Aunt May's cottage, sort of, but it is more complicated than that. He is the Elvenking."

"What? But, how? I don't understand. You told me long ago that you made up the story about the Elvenking." Joanna looked more confused then Anna had ever seen her before.

The waiter came with their order, and they both remained quiet while he put down down their plates in front of them. When the waiter was gone Joanna shook her head.

"Please, I know you probably think I'm insane, but listen; the incident with the Elvenking in my childhood, it was real. I just eventually started telling people I made it up, because every person I met thought I was either crazy or imagined the whole thing. The second option was the better. What would you have done?"

Joanna slowly nodded. None of them had touched their food yet.

"Well, I guess it makes sense. But still, I mean are you sure? I've never heard anyone say that elves exist. Is he like an old man now, if he was a grown up twenty years ago? How did you meet him again?"

"He is old, yes, very old in fact, but he looks exactly the same as he did back then."

"Ok.. But how did you end up in a relationship with him? If he is not human, does he, you know, function like a human?" Joanna tentatively picked up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks.

"Yes. He does. On the outside his body is just like any other mans, besides the ears."

Joanna still looked like a living questionmark. But Anna felt like she had nothing to lose. She started telling Joanna about their first encounter by the pond last summer and everything that happened since. She told her about the Elvenking's halls, the time they spent together and the incident with Fred. She even showed Joanna a few pictures of her and Thranduil.

"I know you think I'm totally crazy for having sex in the forest with a fairytale creature. But nothing ever felt more right. And it was amazing."

"Yeah, it is pretty crazy." Joanna said with a smile. "But, I promised not to judge you, and I will keep that promise. After everything you told me and showed me, I do believe you. I've seen how you changed the last six months, and it is clear he makes you happy in some kind of way. The way you light up when you speak about him is enough for me. And Fred, well he got what he deserved. I've never liked him, you know that."

Anna smiled and felt so relieved that her eyes filled with tears. Joanna reached over the table and hugged her.

"Still, I'm so confused. I have no idea in what way all of this will affect my life. I mean, how could we ever have a future together?"

"You know I can't give you any advice. I don't think there are many who have been in your situation." Joanna said. "But then again, I'm a hopeless romantic, and I really hope everything will turn out great for you. Just go for it, I guess."

"I'd like you to meet Thranduil. He is in my apartment here in the city."

"What? He is here? Hell yes, I'd like to meet him."

"Dinner at my place at seven then?"

Joanna nodded, and Anna hoped Thranduil wouldn't be mad at her for inviting her friend over.

* * *

Thranduil looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a black shirt, a pair of jeans and black shoes. His expression told her more than a thousand words. She couldn't help but to smile at him. In her opinion, he looked really hot, but he didn't seem to agree.

"It's only for an hour or so. I think you look great."

"I do not agree with you Anna. These clothes are quite ridiculous."

Anna had concealed the tips his ears by taping them close to his head, and putting his hair up in a loose bun, covering the tips of his ears. That hairstyle also made him stand out a bit less. He could pass for human, no doubt about it. Especially as no one expected him to be anything but. It might be somewhat of a risky move taking him with her to the supermarket to buy food, but she could not really keep him locked up in her apartment for days either. It was quite a big city after all, and chances were slim that they would bump into anyone she knew. Hopefully. To her surprise, he hadn't objected to her idea about having Joanna over for dinner. In a way he almost seemed touched that she wanted him to meet one of her friends. Perhaps he longed to interact with other people than her, since he had been alone for so long?

The drive to the supermaket took them about fifteen minutes, and when they arrived it was pretty crowded. People were still christmas shopping, and Thranduil seemed a bit stunned by the amount of humans around him. He hid it well though, but kept fairly close to Anna as she filled up the cart with food and other things they needed. She could see quite a few women checking Thranduil out. Some of the women she considered much better looking than her. She swallowed, and looked at him, trying to figure out what his reaction was.

"Stop being foolish Anna. You are the most beautiful woman here." He whispered in her ear, slightly amused.

"Can you read my mind?"

"No. I don't have to be a mind reader to see what you are thinking." His hot lips touched her ear, and she could feel his hand roam over her ass. "If they only knew what I'll do to you when we get home..." He murmured and her heart started beating faster. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from moaning.

"Please, Thranduil, people might see us." She said and grabbed a bag of pasta.

"Very well.." He chuckled and let go of her. She thanked God there were no other people close to them at the moment, but she had to admit she was rather eager to know what he had planned for her at home. A naughty smile played on her lips as she checked the shopping list.

"We only need coffee. Then we are done here, I think." She pushed the cart towards the shelf where she could find coffee.

* * *

Later that night Anna was humming softly as she cut tomatoes for the salad. Her hair was still wet after her shower, and her body satisfied, but a bit tired, after having sex for hours. Were all elves this good in bed? She wondered as she watched Thranduil emerge from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips. It was a shame they didn't have more time. She might be tired, but wouldn't mind another go.. She bit her lower lip and he smiled when he saw the way she looked at him.

She sighed and continued to chop vegetables, Joanna would be here soon, and Anna couldn't lie, she was a bit nervous. To make things worse, they had bumped into one of Christian's friends outside the supermarket earlier on. The likelihood that they would meet someone she knew was slim to none, she thought, but of course things didn't quite work out the way she had planned. As usual. This guy would probably tell her brother that he had seen her shopping with a man, she was pretty sure of that. And she would have to tell more lies to her family. She hated it, but things were complicated. It wasn't really like she could take Thranduil with her to her family and tell them that she was dating the Elvenking now.. How she wished things were different. She shook her head.

Thranduil came back from the bedroom dressed in his normal clothes and with his hair down. He sat down and poured himself some wine as Anna continued cooking. Five minutes later, Joanna rang the doorbell and Anna opened with a wine glass in her hand.

"Hi!" Joanna hugged Anna and looked at Thranduil, who was standing behind her in the living room.

"He is very tall." Joanna whispered. Anna nodded and closed the door behind them.

"Hi, I'm Joanna." Joanna said and reached out her hand to Thranduil. She seemed quite nervous. "I've never met an elf before." She added.

"Pleased to meet you Joanna." Thranduil said with his trademark smirk. "Not many have met an elf. As far as I know I'm the only elf left."

"Uhm, ok." Joanna blushed.

"Here, have a glass of wine." Anna handed over a glass to Joanna.

After some food and more wine the initial awkwardness disappeared, and Joanna seemed a bit less intimidated by Thranduil. Not that Anna could really blame her. She guesses Thranduil had that effect on people, after all he did have an air of authority around him that was hard to deny. Still, he politely answered Joanna's many questions and the conversation between the three of them flowed smoothly.

"I can kind of see why you are into him." Joanna giggled. "He is like, really, really attractive, in an odd kind of way. And I don't mean his looks. It's pretty obvious that he is hot, I mean the way he behaves, and the way he looks at you. I think he adores you." Joanna said in the kitchen when she was helping Anna with the dishes.

"Yeah, and that bothers me sometimes." Anna sighed. "I mean I don't really understand why he is this into me. Compared to him I'm quite bland and boring."

"Why do you say such things about yourself?" You are a lovely person Anna, and more beautiful than you seem to think. Just because Fred put you down, and treated you like crap doesn't mean every other man will do the same.

"It's just an observation. I'm more of a realist than you,I guess. And what will happen when I get old? He will always stay the same."

"Well, it's a long time before you get old. Try to enjoy yourself. I sure wouldn't mind an elf of my own, if you know what I mean.. It's a shame there is only one.." Joanna giggled and emptied her glass. Anna couldn't help but to envy her carefree attitude.

* * *

For the reviewers:

Nikki: Yea, Fred should not have been there, that's for sure. Let's see what the future has in store for A & T. ;) Thank you for reviewing.

Naraiel: Thank you! Yes, Fred is not a pleasant person, and finally he got what he deserved.

JustABite: Thank you for your kind comments! I'll try to be a bit faster with my next update. =)

Guest: Thank you so much! I Think it is safe to say A&T will end up together, but it won't be a smooth ride by any means.

Ashes2dust18: Well, I thought about killing him off for a bit there, but then I changed my mind. I don't think Anna could live with herself then. She is not that kind of person. Thanks for the Review!

ndavis77: Well, Fred got a Little beating, haha. Got what he deserved. We'll have to see what the future has in store for A&T ;) Thank you!

Firerosedreamer6: Nope it didn't end well for Fred, hehe. Thanks for the Review.

kiranomi: Thank you very much for your kind Words!


	7. Spring

**Hello. It has been a busy week for me at work, but somehow I managed to write a whole chapter anyway. Hope you enjoy it.**

 **As Always a big thank you to everyone who takes time to read and review. Answers to the reviewers at the end of the chapter.**

 **Warnings: Sex..**

Three months had passed since Christmas and spring was in full swing in the city. Anna was working like crazy on her new book. Joanna said she was burying herself in her work. She sighed. At least she was doing great, and her publisher was ecstatic about her new ideas and illustrations. Today she took the day off though, and she was on her way to a bar to meet up with Joanna and her other friend Andrea. For the first time in ages, she was heading for a night out.

She was dressed up in a short, and tight blue dress that Joanna had helped her choose during their last shopping trip, and high heels. She wondered if Thranduil would have liked her outfit. She smiled and put on a pair of earrings. On Christmas eve, after she came home from the dinner with her family, she had seen the first signs of Thranduil fading. By the next morning, he was gone, and the long wait for the summer solstice begun.

She couldn't wait to be with him again, but it was still a long time until June. Her conversations with Joanna made her realize that she should go for it, be with him no matter what. She wondered what that meant, though. Would he stay in solid form for longer every time? Would he be permanently solid one day? If he remained solid eventually, would they be able to live together as any other couple?

This summer she would try to talk to her family about him and maybe let them meet him. The constant questions from Christian and her parents about if she was dating someone, and who she was seeing were getting harder, and harder to avoid. Christian's friend had, of course, let it slip that he had seen Anna with some unknown, tall, blonde man the day before Christmas. It was to be expected, and her brother never stopped asking. He had told their parents too. By accident, though, but still..

She sighed, picked up her coat, and left her apartment. She would try to have fun tonight. Joanna suggested it would be good for her to get away from both her work and her own thoughts.

She checked her phone on the way to the bar. Today was the spring equinox, she realized. Not that it probably had any significance to her. She also had a missed call and a message. She frowned. It was from Fred's mother. She wanted to talk. Anna sighed. She had heard nothing from Fred since the incident at the cottage. What could his mother possibly have to say to her? Still, curiosity got the better of her and she called Fred's mom back.

The phone call lasted a bit longer than expected. When she was finally done, she took a deep breath. Fred was in a psychiatric hospital. After stalking Anna he had apparently moved on to his other ex, Gabrielle, the girl he had cheated on Anna with. She had been worse off than Anna. Fred had beaten her up quite badly. If Fred got well enough, he was probably going to prison for a long time. Anna was thankful Thranduil had been there to protect her that night at the cottage, and she felt sorry for Fred's mom. She had cried and begged for Anna's forgiveness for all the threats Fred had made, like what happened was her fault.

Anna sighed and shook her head as she entered the bar where she was meeting Joanna and Andrea. Both of her friends were already sipping martinis, dressed for a night out.

"Anna! Here!" Joanna waved at her, and Anna smiled.

Anna hugged her friends and sat down with them. She ordered a drink from the waiter, and took a deep breath.

"Guess what just happened."

"No idea." Andrea said, and Joanna looked suspiciously at her.

"Fred's mom, Rita, just called me."

"What?!" Joanna looked worried and almost knocked her martini glass off the table.

Anna told the girls about what happened with Fred's other ex, and that he was hospitalized. Both sighed with relief.

"Yeah, I know. It feels better when he is locked up, but I feel sorry for his mom. She seems to think she is responsible somehow, but he is a grown man, and to me she always seemed like a nice person. I'm lucky though, seems like Fred had planned to do the same thing to me as he did to Gabrielle. She's not my favourite person by any means, but she didn't deserve what happened to her."

"I agree." Joanna sighed.

* * *

It was a nice night out, and to be honest Anna probably had too many drinks, because she was slightly drunk when she came back to her apartment at 2 am. She sighed with relief as she kicked off her high heels and went to the kitchen to make a greasy bacon sandwich. She moaned when she took the first bite. This was exactly what she needed: a good time with her friends and a damn good meal. She had to confess that a huge weight had dropped from her shoulders now that Fred was no longer a threat.

When she finished her sandwich she swallowed a painkiller, drank some water and went to bed. She fell asleep almost immediately and woke up three hours later, her mouth dry, and feeling slightly nauseous. The hangover had kicked in and she made her way to the kitchen and had more water. She hoped she would feel better in the morning. This time it took her a while longer to fall asleep, and she was tossing and turning for a while.

When she finally entered dreamland, she found herself by the pond in the woods and Thranduil was standing in front of her, looking as gorgeous as ever with spring flowers in his crown. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly.

"I've missed you. I wish you were here for real." She sighed

"But I am, Anna. Please come to me. Meet me by the pond tomorrow."

She looked up at him and frowned.

"This is not real."

"No, this is a dream, and I can't stay for long. But I've returned to my solid solid form. Please come to me.."

* * *

Anna woke up. Her phone was ringing an vibrating loudly next to her bed. She sighed. It was her publisher. That man seemed to get up very early, and Anna was not a morning person by any means.

"Anna, good morning!" Her Publisher sounded very enthusiastic.

"God morning." Anna's voice was harsh, but luckily her hangover seemed to be gone.

"Did I Wake you?"

"No." She lied.

"Good. You know, I've been really impressed with your ideas lately, and I was thinking that maybe some of them could become something more advanced. I'm thinking about a novel. Maybe for adults or young adults. What do you think? I mean you obviously have stuff to work with here, and some of it is a bit too dark and gruesome for a children's book, as you said yourself."

"I'm not sure. I've never written that kind of stuff before."

"I think you can do it. At least give it a try. This could be the next big thing!"

"Well, I suppose I could write a few chapters. Just as an experiment." Anna said tentatively. Truth to be told she had always dreamed about writing novels.

"That's the spirit! Why don't we have a meeting next week. Perhaps you will have something to show me by then?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll try. I'm going away for a few days." Anna said.

"Ok. But let's meet next Friday at my office, at 12. Ok?"

"Yes. See you next Friday."

When Anna hung up, she crawled out of bed and made some coffee and had a piece of toast. She simply had to go to the cottage. If the dream was really a sign from Thranduil that he had returned to solid form, she wanted to be with him. She could think about her publisher's proposition on her way to the cottage, she figured. First she, just had to check with Aunt May if the place was empty.

* * *

After calling her aunt, Anna took a fast shower, brushed her teeth and packed her stuff. She was a bit apprehensive about going back to the cottage after what happened last time, but if Thranduil was really there it would be worth it. She sighed when she parked her car outside the house. At least the surroundings were nicer and more inviting this time of the year. The sun was shining over the garden and it smelled like spring.

She did as she used to, and made her bed and turned the heat on in the house before heading towards the pond. The woods were awkening after the long, gray winter, and the ground was covered with a mix of last year's dried leaves, fresh, growing grass and spring flowers. The birds were singing merrily around her and a squirrel sitting on a branch watched her curiously with its round black eyes.

One thing that slightly dulled her mood was something that hit her in the car on the way to the cottage. If she found Thranduil, did it mean he had some kind of power to influence her dreams? If he did, did that mean he had made her dream about him in a very sexual way the night before they met last summer? If that was the case, was it his way of manipulating her into having sex with him? Not that it took much manipulation. She sighed. She was simply violently attracted to him, and would most likely have done exactly the same without the dream. Still, it was a bit creepy.

The pond was a clear and calm as ever and it made her long for summer and hot days with cold baths. How she loved this place. She smiled and dipped her hand in the water. It was freezing. She sat down on the ground among the flowers and took a deep breath. He was not here. Had she come in vain? The dream was probably just a dream after all. Well, at least she had her art supplies, and she could paint a little before going back to the cottage to make dinner.

She painted for an hour or so before she suddenly heard Thranduil's voice behind her.

"You came! I managed to reach you in my dream." He sounded relieved and sat down next to her.

"Yes. I thought I had to come and check it out." She smiled and he reached out his hand to cup her chin. He kissed her gently and automatically her arms wrapped around his neck. She was always so weak in his arms. She could never get enough of him. They kissed each other passionately for a while before she managed to control herself enough to break the kiss.

"How is this possible?"

"Me being here?"

"Yes, that, and the dream I had last night."

"I don't know why or how I'm in solid form now, but the dream. It was real. I came to you."

Anna suddenly let go of her and moved away from him slightly. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"If you can enter my dreams like that, does that mean you were the one who made me dream of you the day before we met here last summer?"

"I do not know what you speak of. What kind of dream did you have of me?"

"It was a very naughty dream." She smiled.

"Well, that was not my doing." He chuckled, slightly confused. She believed him. "If I want to reach another persons dreams I need a special connection with them. Like the one we share."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, Anna. I've tried to tell you many times, but perhaps you don't understand..." He looked like a nervous little boy, Anna thought. All of his usual confidence was gone.

"Enlighten me."

"From the first time I ever laid my eyes on you I knew. You were the one I had waited for all these countless years. You are my true mate Anna. We belong together."

"You knew when I was a child?" She heard her voice shaking.

"Yes. He said. "I could see it in your eyes. Ever since that day I hoped and prayed to the Valar that you would one day find your way back to me as an adult. And you did. I love you Anna."

Anna stayed quiet for a while. What he had told her was both creepy and sort of romantic, and she had no idea what to say. She could see him staring at her holding his breath. She sighed. She could perhaps understand her feelings now, why she had felt so violently attracted to him from the very start, and why she felt so empty when he was not around. She had never believed in Soulmates before, but maybe he was right. They really belonged together.

"I love you too. But us being together won't be easy. I guess we have to take it one day at a time." She wrapped her arms around him again, and he looked so happy it almost broke her heart. "Come, let's go to the cottage, and have some dinner."

"Yes. I realize that it won't be easy for us.." He kissed her, and pulled her up on her feet and together they walked hand in hand to the cottage.

* * *

After having a simple dinner, they were sitting on the porch with a glass of wine each. Anna was wrapped in a thick blanket, but Thranduil didn't seem to mind the chilly spring afternoon air.

"Do you think you are on your way to becoming solid?" Anna asked and sipped her wine. "I mean you aren't really supposed to be more than a spirit at the moment."

"It seems like that." Thranduil said.

"If you do, I guess you won't like living in the city with me?"

"No, I'm not fond of the city, to be honest. But then again, for you I'll do anything."

"I'm not really a city person either." Anna said. "And since I do the work I do, I can live wherever I choose."

He nodded and Anna sighed and stared down at her wine.

"Is there something wrong?" Thranduil raised an eyebrow.

"What happens when I get old? I will, eventually, you know. I will get old and weak, and then I'll die. I will also not be pretty forever. How will you feel about that?"

Thranduil looked offended.

"Do you not understand? You are my mate. And I will love you forever. No matter what. When you die, I will die too. From a broken heart. That is what happens when an elf looses his or her mate."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, but that sounds pretty horrible." Anna swallowed, and couldn't help feeling very empty inside. She would be the cause of his demise. What the hell had she dragged them into?

Thranduil suddenly laughed. His laughter was melodic and beautiful.

"Anna. I've lived for longer than you could ever imagine. Before I met you, I was sick and tired of it all, but yet I kept on existing. I will welcome death when it's time for it and accept my faith."

Anna shook her head. She failed to see what was amusing about the whole situation.

"If I could only understand you.." She said, and sighed.

"You will in time, perhaps. I accepted my faith a long time ago. Since the others sailed, and I lingered here, I came to understand that my true mate would be a mortal. Something unthinkable for me, previously. I didn't care much for mortals. I never felt I had any reason to. They came, and went. Here one day, and dead and gone the next. The only purpose they served was as trading partners and occasionally allies. In my former life, many would argue, I was not a very good person. I was greedy, arrogant, selfish and lustful. Everything an elf should never be. But time changes people."

He hesitantly leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"To be honest, I can't picture you as a very bad person. There are much worse people around the world at the moment. Real monsters."

"Maybe..."

"And, the lustful part. Well, I like that." She smiled and put down her wine glass.

"Yes. I know you do, you naughty girl." He whispered in her ear. "Why don't you tell me about that dream you had about me before we met by the pond last summer. Perhaps we can recreate it."

Anna giggled and told him about the dream of him and her in the pond together, and he listened carefully with a small smile playing on his lips.

"No. We can't "recreate" it. It's way too cold. We'll have to wait until summer."

"Yes, the pond might be too cold, but there are other places where the water is warmer. Come Anna." He took her hand and pulled her up on her feet.

* * *

They were riding on the elk through a part of the woods that was new to her. She had no idea where Thranduil was taking her, but she understood that it was some kind of hot spring. It was odd really, that kind of place technically should not exist in this area. But, on the other hand the laws of nature didn't seem to apply for most of this forest anyway.

The afternoon sun made the shadows longer and it was quiet among the trees. Thranduil was humming a slightly melancholic tune as she leaned against his chest. Since she had made up her mind that she would stay with him, perhaps it was time to tell her family about their relationship? She could almost picture the expression of total disbelief on her parents' faces when she told them. How would Christian react? Probably in a similar fashion, but he was most likely the one she should talk to first. He was the most open and accepting of them after all. She sighed.

In front of them Anna could see another cliff, like the one with the hidden door to the halls. This was much smaller though, and seemed more run down and overgrown with vines and thick moss. They stopped, and Thranduil lifted her down from the elk. He examined the cliff with his hands for a while, before a door appeared out of nowhere again. This one didn't open smoothly though, and Thranduil had to push lightly to get it open.

"It's a long time since I've been here.." He said, almost to himself

Anna nodded, and held the bag with the bath towels tightly to her chest as she followed Thranduil down a sloping corridor. As in the corridor leading to the halls, lights in the lanterns magically came to life as they walked down, further into the deep. Suddenly the corridor turned into a steep staircase that ended with a heavy wooden door. Anna wondered how far underground, they were. It seemed like they had walked a long way. The door opened with a creaking sound and Thranduil led her into a room where the air was warm and damp.

Anna was standing at the edge of a large pool with steaming water. The roof was quite low and on the other side of the pool her eyes fell on a stone statue of a half naked elf holding a lantern in each hand. It was quite obvious it was Thranduil himself. Not very modest. She smiled.

"Welcome to the royal hot spring. I hope the water temperature is more to your liking here." Thranduil murmured into her ear.

Anna got down on her knees and touched the water. It was warm, hot almost, and the smell of minerals was thick in the air.

"It sure is warm enough." She sighed in delight, and started undressing.

She walked down the stairs into the water, and felt herself relax almost instantly. To think a place like this existed right under her nose without her knowing, was almost unbelievable. She sighed with delight as she lowered herself into the water.

"You like it?" She heard Thranduil say behind her.

"Oh yes, very much." She whispered as she felt him wrap his arms around her waist. She leaned against his chest, just like in her dream, and his large hands started playing with her breasts.

"I thought you would." He kissed her on her neck, and she moaned softly as she felt her nipples harden between his fingers.

Anna was hungry for more, and she turned around in his arms and kissed him passionately. She felt his hardening cock against her belly, and one of her hands went down to stroke and tease him. It was way too long since she had touched him this way, and she was hungry for more. He seemed to feel the same and he broke the kiss with a groan.

He lifted her up on the edge of the pool and spread her legs.

"I need to taste you, my love." He said, and Anna moaned as she felt his lips touch her core.

His tongue slowly teased her, licking up and down without hitting any strategic spots, but still she felt herself getting very wet and aroused. She knew him well enough to know he was just teasing her, and she let him do his thing as she leaned back and enjoyed herself, playing with her breasts. A man that loved eating her out like this was clearly a keeper. She moaned loudly as he suddenly swirled his tongue around her clit and started sucking it. The pleasure was so intense that she started shivering and couldn't help screaming his name. If he kept going like this she would reach her climax very fast. He inserted two fingers and started pumping in and out at a leisurely pace. The pleasure was almost too much for her to take.

"I'm so close.." Anna panted and he let go of her with his mouth.

"I know. But I Think I want you to come around my cock instead." He smirked and she groaned, frustrated to no end.

He pulled her back down into the water and she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his tip at her entrance.

"Yes. Fuck me. Fuck me hard. I need you." She moaned and he thrust into her, his thick cock filling her so completely it took her breath away for a moment. She wondered if she would ever really get used to how big he was. She hoped not. The mixture of pleasure and a little bit of pain felt way too good. As he started moving inside her, he pushed her against the edge of the pool. The rough stones scratched her back, but it didn't matter. The pleasure was too intense, as he found the right angle to hit her G-spot with every thrust he made. His obscenely sexy grunts as he fucked her only spurred her on towards her climax. She reached down to massage her swollen clit.

"Mmm, yes." She moaned as she lost control and felt the pleasure take over her body. He kept fucking her a while longer, before he came deep inside her with a loud groan.

Afterwards the water felt almost too hot around her body, but it was also very delightful, and she relaxed and closed her eyes as he let go of her.

"Was that like your dream?" Thranduil whispered in her ear.

"Not exactly." A small smile played on her lips.

"We can always try again. Recreating something perfectly takes a while.."

* * *

 **To the reviewers:**

JustABite: Happy you like it. Sadly, there won't be 100 more chapters, but at least two more =) Yes seeing Thranduil in a modern setting is quite funny. It won't be very easy for him to adjust to this kind of Life.

ElectricSheep78: Thank you very much! I'm happy you enjoy the story. The ending will be a somewhat good one for Thranduil, I think. That's my plan at the moment.

firerosedreamer67: Thanks for writing a lovely review again. I think Anna has finally decided to go for it. =)


	8. The Imposter

_**Hello! Finally a new chapter is up.. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I've been busy and my inspiration has been somewhat lacking lately. Hope you enjoy this chapter anyway. As usually I'm happy so many has read and reviewed my story. I've answered your reviews at the end of the chapter.**_

Four days went by quickly as Anna existed in her own bubble together with Thranduil. They spent their time in the halls and in the forest where Thranduil showed her even more of his magic world. He showed no signs of fading yet, and Anna's mind was busy with thoughts about how, when and where she would introduce Thranduil to her family. One thing was for sure though, however she decided to proceed, her family would most likely not be thrilled about her relationship.

Anna sighed and put some avocados in her shopping cart. Thranduil was standing next to her examining a pineapple, dressed in human clothes. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"What are you thinking about My Love?" He asked, and put the fruit in the shopping cart. "I'd like to taste this oversized pine cone. If that is acceptable for you?"

Anna nodded.

"I'm thinking about my parents again."

"Do you really think they will be this harsh? I will of course explain my intentions with you are nothing but honorable. Joanna accepted me, after all."

Anna sighed.

"My parents are nothing like Joanna, Thranduil. They are very overprotective when it comes to me."

"But you are a grown woman, Anna.."

"Yes, I am, but they don't seem to understand that. They mean well, I know, but sometimes it's just too much. They always had a very hard time accepting any of my boyfriends. Especially Fred. And, you are someone that everybody think is a figment of my imagination."

"Perhaps they were right about Fred..."

"He was not the same back then. Trust me. He was a pretty normal guy when we met. You might be happy to hear that Fred is locked up at the moment. He is very mentally unstable."

Thranduil nodded slowly.

"That is good news. Please don't worry about your parents, Anna." Thranduil leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, but I have multiple reasons to worry. You don't know my parents like I do. Trust me.."

Thranduil sighed.

"What will we have for dinner today?"

"I have no idea. We are both bad at cooking, and to be honest, I'm really tired. Maybe we could just go get a burger and some fries?"

"Burger, fries?" Thranduil sounded a bit off and Anna laughed.

"It's not the best food, but It's quick at least..You love tasting new things, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, My Love." He smiled as they made their way to the checkout.

* * *

About half an hour later, Anna and Thranduil were eating fries dipped in ketchup and mayonnaise by the table in the cottage. Thranduil frowned as he watched one of the fries in his hand.

"Anna, this is really horrible food. I do not like it one bit. You claim to be a bad cook, but I have to say everything you've come up with so far is better than this."

Anna laughed. She could imagine how odd fast food might taste for someone like him.

"Yeah, I agree it's terrible food, but it's also an acquired taste I guess."

"Perhaps.." Thranduil sounded sceptical.

"I'll be back soon. I have to make a call."

Thranduil nodded. And Anna got up from the chair. She had eaten enough, and what she was about to do, simply had to be done. She walked out in the garden. The nice spring weather had continued since her arrival at the cottage, and by now the garden was full of flowers. She took a deep breath. Around her it smelled of spring, and it was yet another sunny day, but Anna's heart was beating like a drum in her chest. She swallowed before calling her brother.

"Hi Anna!" Christian sounded happy as usual, but he was breathing heavily. Probably jogging, Anna guessed.

"Hi, how are you?"

"Everything's just fine here. I'm out, running."

"Yeah, the running part was pretty obvious."

"Really?"

"Yes. Look, there is something I'd like to talk to you about.."

"Go on..."

"I mean in person."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. There is just something I want to discuss with you."

"Ok. Where and when?"

"What about tomorrow? Maybe we could have a drink? I'm at the cottage at the moment. Maybe we could meet in town? That would be half way for you and me both."

"Sounds good. Can I call tomorrow when I'm on my way?"

"Yes." Anna nodded.

S,o things were moving forward.. If forward was the right direction? She was not sure. She sat down on the porch and rested her chin in her hands. In the trees the birds were singing. She closed her eyes. Maybe a glass of wine would be right at the moment? As if Thranduil could read her mind again, he walked out on the porch with two glasses of wine in his hands. Anna smiled.

"Thank you. That is exactly what I needed." She grabbed the glass and took a long sip. "I just talked to my brother. We will meet tomorrow, and I'll tell him about you. I Think it is better this way. He is probably the one that is easier to please. If things go well you will meet him as well."

Thranduil nodded and drank some wine. There was one thing Anna wanted to ask him, but she really didn't know when the right time to ask such a thing was. She didn't want to make him run away in horror after all. Some guys, and probably girls as well might, at least this early in a relationship. But, she had a feeling Thranduil was not the type to leave simply because she asked a few questions.

"There is something I'd like to ask you.." She looked at Thranduil and he lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes.."

"There is something I've been thinking about. Is it possible for an elf and a human to have children?" Anna felt herself blushing. At least Thranduil didn't seem to be chocked in any way. Anna knew she wanted children some time in the future, and she needed to know."

"Yes, it is possible." He smiled. "There has been a few cases of elves and humans having children, although it is not very common. There is no shame in asking this kind of questions Anna."

"Ok. Well, some people would probably be scared and run for their lives if you even mention kids this early in a relationship. Maybe elves are different?

"Yes, indeed we are. You humans do have an odd way of viewing things sometimes. If an elf finds his or her mate, it is more or less certain they will have children sooner or later."

Anna smiled and nodded. Thranduil sighed, and they both sat on the porch quiet for a while, drinking wine and watching the sunny garden.

* * *

The next day Anna left Thranduil alone in the cottage and drove to the closest town where she would meet up with her brother. Even if the drive wasn't particularly long, it felt like an eternity. While the sun was still shining as bright as the last few days, a cold sense of dread was eating away at Anna. She had agreed to meet Christian at a small café that served fantastic cakes, but she had no desire to eat anything at the moment no matter how delicious.

Christian was sitting next to one of the windows reading a newspaper. He looked very relaxed and had a nice tan after a two week long holiday with his girlfriend in Thailand. In front of him he had two cappuccinos and two pieces of chocolate cake, Annas favourite. She swallowed.

"Hi Anna. I ordered for us. I hope you don't mind. I know this is your favourite."

Anna nodded, tried to smile and sat down.

"You look pale. Is something wrong?" Christian looked suspiciously at Anna and put down the paper. Anna pretended to take a sip of her cappuccino.

She shook her head.

"No, nothing is wrong. Do Mom and Dad know you are here?"

"No. I haven't talked to them for two Days. What is going on?"

"Well, I thought it would be best to tell you first. Please don't tell them anything I say today. I'll tell them myself."

Christian frowned and nodded reluctantly.

"I'm seeing someone.. And, well you might be a bit shocked.."

"Please don't tell me you are back with Fred. If you are that is the most idiotic decision you've ever made. Don't you know he beat up that girl he was cheating on you with?"

"No, no, no.." Anna shook her head. "I'm not back with Fred. I would never take him back. In fact, he is locked up at the moment. His mom called me a few days ago and told me."

"Well, that is good news at least... It can't be that bad then? Or is this guy a known criminal or something?"

"No, he is not a criminal."

"Then why do you worry so much about telling me?"

"Well, it is rather complicated.."

"Ok, I'm listening.."

Anna took a sip of her cappuccino, but didn't touch her cake. Christian on the other hand had finished half of his piece already.

"Last summer, when I came to the cottage to work on my book, I met someone."

"Ok.." Christian nodded.

"And.. He is the Elvenking.."

"Pardon?" Christian dropped his fork and stared at Anna like she had lost her mind completely.

"Yes. I said it. The Elvenking. His name is Thranduil, by the way."

"Anna. There is no such thing as an Elvenking. You told me yourself many times that you made the whole thing up. Is this some kind of joke? If it is, it's not funny." Christian simply stared at her.

"No, it's not a joke. He is real, Christian. What did you expect me to say? Every person I ever met told me that the Elvenking was a figment of my childish imagination. It was far easier to just say I made the whole thing up. I almost believed it myself until I met him again."

"Anna. He is not real. There is no such thing as elves.."

"So, what you are saying is that I'm insane and imagine things?" Anna stabbed her cake angrily with the fork.

"Frankly, I'm not sure I know what to think at the moment."

"Fine. I'll prove it to you. Thranduil is at the cottage. You can meet him and check that he is real yourself."

"Anna, this is madness.."

"I'm not mad. As I said, I can prove it to you. Now."

Anna got up on her feet and started walking towards her car. Christian followed her with an odd expression on his face. Without a word Anna got into her car and started driving towards the cottage and her brother followed in his car. She was glad she didn't have to sit next to Christian, the situation was odd enough as it was. She almost wanted to cry, but could she really expect anything else? How would she have reacted if it was the other way around. Probably exactly the same way.

* * *

If the drive from the cottage to the café had felt long, it was nothing compared to how the way back felt. When they finally reached the cottage her hands were visibly shaking, and she felt nauseous. Thranduil was sitting on the porch reading a book, and when Christian saw him it looked almost like his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. In any other situation Anna would have thought his expression comical, but now it made her cringe.

Thranduil got up on his feet gracefully, as he always did, and walked towards Anna and her brother. Christian couldn't stop staring at the elf. Today Thranduil was dressed in a long silver gray tunic, black leggings and boots, and even if he didn't wear a crown he stood out, looked very alien, and probably quite intimidating. Christian backed a few steps towards his car.

"You must be Anna's brother. I am Thranduil." Thranduil said, and Anna could see he tried his best to look friendly, but Christian still looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Yes. I am Anna's brother. Christian." Christian finally said when his back was almost against his car. "Anna, I need to talk to you for a second. Ok?" Christian sounded almost scared and Anna sighed.

"Will you give us a minute, please?" Anna looked at Thranduil, who nodded and walked back to the porch.

"You see, he is real. Anna said."

"Yes, he is a real person, but Anna, do you really think he is an elf? Isn't it more likely he is some kind of an imposter. I mean some creepy guy dressed up in odd clothes and fake ears who has taken advantage of you because he has read your book and poses as the Elvenking just to trick you. Or maybe he had plastic surgery? Elves are not real."

Anna sighed.

"No, he is not. I know he is exactly the same person I met so many years ago in the forest. Trust me. Besides I have seen many things with him that you can't even dream about. There are secret places in this forest, built by elves. And his ears, they are real ears. I have touched them many times."

"Oh God, I don't want to know what parts of him you have touched.. " Christian looked horrified.

"You asked. I answered." She was angry now. She had expected him to be a bit sceptical, but not that he would react the way he did at the moment.

"So, yeah. Let's say he is a real elf then. It's still creepy. What if he has been secretly grooming you to fall for him? I mean, don't you remember how you used to say you wanted to marry the Elvenking when you grew up?"

"I don't remember ever saying that. I just remember you teasing me about it. And, he is not some kind of pedophile, if that is what you are trying to imply. He never did anything inappropriate to me as a child. Jesus, I didn't think you would react lime this."

Anna felt more let down than she ever had in her life. She hoped Thranduil could not hear their conversation, but with his sharp hearing, he had probably heard everything.

"You said it many times. Trust me. I am three years older than you, and I remember. Anna, please nothing good could ever come of this. If he is some kind of imposter he is probably insane, and if he really is what you say he is it's even creepier. Please come back home with me to the city. You can't be alone with him here."

"I didn't think you had it in you to be such an asshole Christian!" Anna shouted "I'm not going anywhere. I've spent the last four days here alone with him. He has been nothing but good to me."

Suddenly couldn't keep her tears back anymore. Anna stayed quiet, but tears were running down her face. In the corner of her eye she could see Thranduil staring at them. She hoped he wouldn't try to interfere. Christian's face softened as he saw Anna crying.

"I'm sorry Anna. I didn't mean to hurt you, but you must understand how crazy this all sounds."

She nodded slowly, but she still couldn't help feeling very disappointed.

"Could you at least give Thranduil a chance? Get to know him. He is not a fraud or a bad person. Just think about it."

Slowly Christian nodded.

"I hope you understand that this is a bit too much to take in at the moment. I'll have to go home and think about the whole thing. Will you be ok?"

Anna nodded.

"I'll call you tomorrow ok?"

"Please don't tell Mom and Dad about this." Anna said as Christian got into his car. She didn't get an answer though, and as her brother drove away, she still felt empty inside and more disappointed than she had felt in a very long time. Thranduil walked up to Anna, pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead.

"Did you hear what he said?"

"Yes, I did. And sadly, from what I've seen of your world, I'm not that surprised."

"I'm sorry. Christian is not a bad person, but what he said about you was horrible. He simply doesn't understand. To be honest, I'm not really sure how I would have acted if the roles were reversed. Still, I'm disappointed with his behavior."

"I know Anna, but as you said yourself many times,things will never be easy for us."

Anna nodded, and leaned against Thranduil's chest.

"Yes, but we just have to find a way, don't we?" She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly.

* * *

An hour later when Anna and Thranduil were on their way to the Elvenkings Halls she got a message from Christian:

 _Once again, I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I was just so chocked. I hope you understand. Still there is no excuse for what I said, though. I am willing to give him a chance. I want you to be happy, but I'm worried about you. You must understand that. You're my little Sis, after all. I won't say anything to Mom and Dad, but you'll have to tell them sooner or later. Hugs C._

Anna was happy that Christian had changed his mind, and wanted to give her and Thranduil a chance, but the thought of talking to her parents still seemed like a nightmare to her. Their reaction would probably be much worse than her brother's, and what about the rest of the world? What would the consequences be for a non-human like Thranduil if it became public knowledge that he existed? She had no answer, but her paranoia had made her suggest they would spend the night in the Halls instead of the cottage. There they were protected from everything that was humanity.

* * *

 **To the reviewers:**

 **JustABite: Thank you for your kind words once again. Let's see where they will end up living at the end of the story. I'm sort of rooting for the cottage as well. Maybe.. ;) I'm from somewhere in Scandinavia. Won't be more specific than that. Have to be a bit secretive lol.**

 **firerosedreamer67: Yes, let's hope the rest will fall in line eventually. And it will, one way or Another. I do have the ending planned, but I won't say if they will end up living in this World or Valinor, or somewhere else. That will be a surprise.**

 **ElectricSheep78: Thank you very much. Yes, it seems like Thranduil has finally found some happiness in his Life, but the question is how long will it last. We will just have to keep going with the story to find out =)**

 **Tobiramamara: Thank you. There will be a whole lot of drama coming up Before the end, trust me. ;) And about babies, well, we have to wait and see.**


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